Hourglass
by Kuko-chan
Summary: Sora's life was going fine until an older version of himself literally falls from the sky bringing news of a horrific future and a mission to turn back the hourglass. Now Sora must fight fate to protect the one he loves. Post KH2 Riku/Sora. Complete!
1. Chapter 1: Eleven Out of Ten

**A/N:** Just a foreword here, this story contains shonen-ai (meaning _boy-love_) in later chapters. If that's not your thing, turn back now or give this story a shot. You might just like it. :) With that said, I hope you enjoy this story and provide feedback when you can. Thanks!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 1: Eleven Out of Ten

Fate is a matter of opinion and a subject of great debate. There are those who swear by it. Every decision, every action, every event is predetermined and there is no changing that. But to some, there is no such thing as fate. There is no invisible force telling people what to do. Some things don't work themselves out. Nothing is set in stone.

For one man, he could only pray that the latter is true.

0o0o0

The waves of the ocean gently lapped against the old wooden boat carrying three passengers across the ocean to a tiny island off the coast of the mainland. The conversation was quiet and comfortable, only the kind that three lifetime friends could have. The eastern horizon was a pale blue, heralding the start of a new day, while the rest of the sky was still sleepy with darkness and stars. This day was a special day. Exactly one year ago, the two young men on the boat had returned home from their adventure. As a way to celebrate this anniversary, they were returning to the little island where it all began.

"We're here," said a melodically sweet voice belonging to the petite redheaded Kairi.

"Sora, help me tie the boat to the dock," requested the silver-haired young man in their group.

"Sure, Riku," replied Sora, leaping out of the boat onto the dock and assisting Riku with tying a proper knot. Once secured, Riku and Kairi joined Sora on the dock. Sora playfully linked arms with his two best friends and excitedly dragged them along. "C'mon! Hurry, before the sun rises!" Kairi politely covered her mouth as she giggled while Riku grinned, both allowing themselves to be pulled along.

It was not long before they reached the old wooden bridge leading to the smaller island with their favourite bent paopu tree on it. At the beginning of summer, all the guys got together to reinforce the bridge because it was starting to show its age. There were visible patches where Tidus had fallen through while hammering a board to the side. As the trio walked across, Sora eyed a spot where he remembered stubbing his toe on an uneven board, hence the decision to fix it up.

Once on the other side of the bridge, the trio proceeded to take up their regular spots - Kairi on the tree closest to the paopu fruit on the tree, Sora sitting on the tree next to her, and Riku leaning on the tree next to Sora. They sighed contently as they watched the eastern sky growing brighter and brighter as the sun slowly made its appearance on the horizon, its first rays glinting across the ocean's surface. Clouds dotted the sky above and as the sun peeked higher, the clouds turned different hues of red, pink, and orange. It was almost as if a higher being knew the trio would be there that morning to watch the sunrise and was delivering the most beautiful sunrise that any of them had ever seen.

Riku gave a slight start when he felt a warm hand slip into his, fingers wrapping. He glanced over at Sora only to see that Sora was holding Kairi's hand in his other hand. A smile spread across his face. Four years ago, he would have never believed that he could have such a strong bond with the two people sitting next to him. But their adventure across all those different worlds, the things they did, the stuff they saw, and the amount of forgiveness Sora had for Riku had drawn them all closer together as friends.

Suddenly, he felt Sora wrench his hand out of Riku's and point towards the sky.

"What's that?" he asked. Riku and Kairi focused their eyes on what Sora was pointing at.

"I don't see anything…" Riku said slowly. Kairi blinked a few times. It was difficult for them to see when the sun was rising in their sleepy eyes, but after focusing, Kairi could see what Sora was looking at. There was something falling towards the earth leaving a blue trail behind it.

"Looks like a shooting star, maybe," Kairi suggested. Riku quickly found the falling object with his eyes.

"No, more like a meteorite," he said.

"A shooting star _is_ a meteorite," Kairi teased.

"No, a shooting star skims the atmosphere and burns up. A meteorite survives the impact to Earth."

"Silly, a shooting star doesn't always burn up."

"Well then why do we never see them land?"

"You guys, it's neither!" Sora said urgently. "It's a person!"

"What?!" As the blue trail got closer, they were clearly able to make out a humanoid appearance. Kairi was suddenly reminded of the manner in which Riku and Sora had arrived back home, falling from the sky with a blue trail behind them.

"He doesn't look too awake, guys," Sora observed.

"How can you tell that from here?" Riku mused. Without saying another word, Sora leapt into the ocean and swam in the direction where the person was going to land. "Sora, wait!" Riku dove in after.

About fifty metres away from the island, the anonymous person impacted on the surface of the water. Kairi watched on anxiously as Sora and Riku quickly swam out to rescue the mysterious man who had not surfaced up yet. Taking a big gulp of air, Sora ducked under the water and grabbed hold of the man's arm while Riku grabbed his other arm. Together, they pulled the man above water, leaning most of the weight on Riku's shoulders. Once he managed to blink the water out of his eyes, Riku took his first real glance at the unconscious person in his arms and gasped. Sora wiped the seawater out of his eyes and joined Riku in gaping at the unknown man. Riku and Sora exchanged looks but neither said a word as they proceeded to swim back to the shore. Kairi was waiting for them when they arrived and once she got a look at the face of the person they rescued, she covered her mouth in disbelief.

"H-he looks like-" Kairi was interrupted.

"He's not breathing!" Riku said quickly, being the first one to snap out of his stupor. He laid the man on the beach and began performing CPR. Within a few seconds, the man shuddered and rolled to his side, coughing up water and muttering obscenities. Riku raised an eyebrow while Sora's eyes widened.

"Where am I?" asked the man tiredly as he cracked open his sky blue eyes. The trio glanced at each other, unsure of who should field the questions. Eventually, Sora knelt next to the man.

"You're on Destiny Island." The man slowly sat up, burying his fingers into his dark brown hair and scratching the back of head, still coughing a little.

"What year is it?" he asked quickly. Sora was confused by such a strange question.

"Excuse me?"

"The year! What year is it?" the man demanded more forcefully. The energy it took to get that much speech out left him coughing.

"2006!" Sora replied nervously. "It's 2006!"

"Shit…" The man let himself fall backwards back onto the sand. "It's supposed to be 2005…" Again, the trio exchanged odd glances with each other, but before any of them could put another word in, the man was unconscious again. They stood speechless.

"What should we do with him?" Sora asked meekly.

"We can't just leave him here," Kairi said. "Let's take him to your house Sora."

"Have fun explaining that to my parents!" He rubbed his eyes. "What about your place, Riku? Your parents should have left for work by now." Riku considered that suggestion for a moment.

"Yeah, it should be fine." He knelt down beside the man and attempted to lift him under the shoulders. "Lend me a hand, will ya?" Sora snapped out of his daze and lifted the man around his legs. Within a few minutes, they had the man securely on the boat and were heading back to the mainland.

As the boat slowly bobbed in the ocean closer and closer to the coast, Kairi said, "Who do you guys think he is? Really?" The other two young men studied the man's face but didn't say a word. They didn't know what to think at the moment.

0o0o0

After much struggling and a few choice curse words on Riku's part, they had managed to get the man onto the couch in Riku's living room. Sora sat next to him wondering to himself just what in the world was happening. He was in the middle of building strange stories in his head to explain the man's appearance when suddenly, the man woke with a start, a strangled scream leaving his lips and two Keyblades appearing his hands, the Oblivion and, surprisingly enough, the Way to Dawn. His eyes were flashing dangerously. He leapt at the nearest person, assuming them to be a foe. Sora cried out in surprise when the man lunged at him with Keyblades drawn. Riku and Kairi burst into the room from the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about. The man was breathing heavily, a Keyblade edge pressed against Sora's neck, but when he regained some sense and realised whom he had just attacked, he backed away as if burned. Climbing back onto the couch, he murmured an apology and covered his eyes with his hands. Sora remained on the floor, still getting over the shock of being assaulted.

"Be still, my stupid heart," he grumbled, willing his heart to stop racing. Riku rushed over to Sora to help him up but his eyes and mistrust never left the man sitting on the couch.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. Judging by the posture of the man, he felt slightly bad about attacking Sora but more embarrassment for waking in such a manner.

"Nightmare…" he whispered. "Sorry…" There was a ringing silence as Riku sized the man up, deciding whether it would be wise to pick a fight. The man certainly looked older and stronger than Riku, but that had never stopped the silver-haired young man before. Finally, Kairi broke the silence by speaking up.

"Sorry, but… Who are you… exactly?" she asked quietly. The man looked at her as if he just realised who was standing next to him. Then his expression went to sour and annoyed.

"Who do you think I am?" he replied with sarcasm in his voice. "Jack Sparrow?" The others were surprised at his sudden shift in character. "I'm Sora!" There was a long period of silence as the trio thoroughly eyed the man. He bared an uncanny resemblance to Sora but there were very subtle differences, such as the loss of that carefree child-like twinkle in his eyes that Sora had. And his outfit was far more mature, less primary colours and more subdued colours, and an almost military-like style. This man looked tired and battle-worn as if years of tragedy had taken their toll on his face.

"Nope!" Riku said, breaking the silence. "Sorry, we've already got one, see? And this one's the proper age." It was true. The man claiming to be Sora was at least a good five years older than the real Sora.

The man seemed to notice Riku for the first real time and his entire demeanour shifted again. For the briefest of seconds, there seemed to be a spark of something in his eyes but it was gone before anyone could really notice it.

"I know this is going to sound crazy…" he started slowly, hoping that his words weren't falling on deaf ears. "But I'm not from this time period." He paused, allowing them to absorb what he just said. "I'm from seven years in the future." Again, there was quiet as each person mulled over what was said. Finally, Sora burst into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah right!" he said, barely able to breathe through his laughter. "And I suppose King Mickey is the king of the underworld!"

"Sora, shut the hell up or I'll tell everyone what kind of underwear you wear!" The man shouted. Sora froze, suddenly silent.

"You wouldn't…" he growled, his voice low. "If you're me, then you'd be telling them what kind of underwear _you_ used to wear."

"That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it'll make you believe me. Anyway, you of all people should know by now that time travel isn't impossible! You used the Cornerstone of Light to travel back and visit King Mickey's ancestor. So don't give me that shit!"

"See, now I know you're not me because I would never use that kind of language."

"It's called growing up in case you haven't noticed." Sora went silent again.

"So suppose you really are Sora from the future," said Riku. "Why are you here?" Future Sora's overall appearance seemed to get darker if that were even possible and he became dead serious.

"I'm here to warn you all of something terrible that's going to happen." All attention was on the man before them and for the moment, they were listening without doubt or skepticism. "In about a year from this present date, there will be a simultaneous attack on every world at once. It will cripple the forces of light and begin a bloody war between light and dark. And let me tell you, we are not even close to winning this war."

"Who's behind the attack?" asked Riku. Future Sora's eyes darkened as they focused on the other Sora.

"Maleficent." Sora's heart seemed to stop and he got a sick hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was like the kind of feeling he got when he was at school or the beach and he remembered he didn't lock his front door or forgot to turn the oven off, only this feeling was ten times worse and made him want to hyperventilate. How could he have forgotten about Maleficent? He always knew in the back of his mind that she was still alive, but he never would have guessed in a million years that she'd try conquering the realm of light again. Then again, she had made her intentions perfectly clear when they had last met in the Castle That Never Was. It wasn't like she was trying to hide her agenda. So why did Sora feel so sick and ashamed? Because he could have stopped her a year ago when he had the chance. Now he was being told of a future where she's overwhelming the forces of light and it was all his fault.

"I know what you're thinking, Sora," Future Sora interjected. "And it's not your fault. Believe me, it took me years to come to grips with that. Maleficent is…" He seemed to be reaching in his mind for a suitable word for the dark fairy. "… an inerasable evil. No matter how many times we tried to kill her, she would keep coming back. So even if you had defeated her one year ago, she still would have returned in another form." That didn't bring much comfort to Sora.

"Then how do we stop her?" Riku asked. "Should we just pay her a visit and defeat her army before she has a chance to attack?" Future Sora shook his head.

"No, unfortunately, it's too late for that. See, this is where I fucked up. I was supposed to be sent back to 2005 just after you two came back. That was when the walls separating all the worlds were weakest and Maleficent had just started building her army. Now her army is too large for the three of you to take on by yourselves."

"So then just go back to a year ago!" Sora suggested as if it were the easiest thing in the world to figure out.

"I only had one shot to do this. This isn't like the movies where I have a time machine sitting in a hiding spot somewhere. This was a one-way trip." That took the trio aback.

"So how will you get home?" Kairi asked sadly. Future Sora shrugged.

"I'm hoping that by changing the past, my time will never have happened and I'll just kinda…"

"Fade away?" Sora said. Future Sora nodded. "That's kinda… depressing."

"Not to mention confusing. Haven't you heard of paradoxes?" Kairi added. "If your time never happens and you fade away, technically you never came back in time in the first place to warn us of the danger and we'd be back to square one."

"Kairi, my brain just exploded. Pick up the pieces."

"If you didn't use a machine, how did you get here?" Riku asked curiously, ignoring his friends' playful banter.

"It's complicated," Future Sora tried to explain. "A lot of research went into how the Corridors of Darkness were created and how they worked. King Mickey discovered a time dilation field within the corridors that created the illusion of instant transportation from one world to another. You could spend hours in the corridors but on the outside, it was only a few minutes. Then Yen Sid discovered the Corridors of Light."

"Corridors of Light?" Sora repeated in disbelief.

"Only a Princess of Heart and those connected to her can activate them. That's how Beast was able to follow Belle to Hollow Bastion. We were using them up until last year to coordinate attacks and transport supplies between the worlds. They're far safer than the Corridors of Darkness." Riku nodded in understanding. He remembered walking through the Corridors of Darkness and feeling like his life energy was being drained from him. "Basically, using what they knew about the Corridors of Darkness and Light, King Mickey, Yen Sid, Merlin, and Cid were able to rig the Cornerstone of Light to send me back here. Please don't ask me to explain the specifics. I'm a warrior, not a thinker."

"Geez, that's for sure," Riku joked while nudging Sora.

"Hey!" Sora grumbled.

"Problem is," Future Sora continued. "It was only in the beginning stages of development and all still very experimental. When Maleficent got word of what we were doing, she sent her armies to destroy Disney Castle." Future Sora became more solemn. "Mickey and Merlin were killed in the attack. We had run out of time and this was our only shot. So Cid set the computer and Yen Sid performed the magic." He paused again, rubbing his throat as if he were trying to will away the lump forming inside. "They kinda just tossed me through. I wanted to stay and fight, but…" He shut his eyes tightly and exhaled. "Last thing I saw before being knocked out were Heartless soldiers bursting through the door and firing. Next thing I knew, I woke up on the beach looking at you guys." It was quiet as the trio contemplated everything that was told to them.

"I'm… I'm so sorry to hear-" Sora said.

"I don't need pity right now," Future Sora shot back, his former tough exterior quickly returning. "What I need you guys to do right now is to hard-the-fuck-up and help me stop Maleficent before she gets her army fully together."

"Are you sure you're me, 'cuz I just couldn't picture myself swearing-"

"Paopu fruit print."

"What?"

"Sora wears paopu fruit print underwear." Riku and Kairi burst into fits of laughter while Sora turned crimson red.

"You jerk!" he shrieked. Future Sora grinned.

"Now you know not to take my 'idle threats' lightly. Cross me again and I'll tell them about Mr. Snuggles."

"No, don't!"

"Mr. Snuggles?" Kairi laughed excitedly. "Who's that?"

"No one!" Sora shouted, waving his arms around. "Nothing! Ignore him… er… me!" Riku and Kairi continued to laugh. Future Sora merely smirked and folded his arms across his chest. Deep down, he was truly glad to be among his friends again. It had been far too long…

"So I'm assuming you have some kind of plan?" Riku asked once he had sobered up. Future Sora nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I do. First, I'm going to show Kairi how to access the Corridors of Light." Kairi blushed at the sudden attention. She had never gotten used to the idea of being a Princess. She always thought of herself as just plain ol' Kairi. "We're going to contact King Mickey, warn him and all the other worlds of what's to come, then we're going to build an army, train, and strike at Maleficent before she gets the chances to rally her army to its fullest."

"A pre-emptive attack," Sora said with an impressed whistle. "I like it. No more sitting around waiting for the danger to come to us."

"Exactly. So let's get started as soon as possible." The trio exchanged glances. "What?" They seemed hesitant to speak.

"It's just that…" Sora started slowly. "We kinda had plans today."

"Sora," Riku hissed.

"Wait," Future Sora interrupted. "What day is today exactly?"

"August 4th," Sora answered. Future Sora nodded in understanding.

"The Return Anniversary…" he sighed.

"Yeah, so if we're going off to war, wouldn't it be nice if we had one last day to just relax and have fun?"

"Warning the others is more important than that," said Riku.

"No, it's not," replied Future Sora. The trio couldn't help but gape at him.

"Really?" Kairi asked. Future Sora had his arms folded and a stern look in his eyes, one very foreign to Sora's face.

"Friendship is the most important thing in the world." There was a tone of finality in his voice. "Go ahead and spend the day the way you planned. I want you guys to enjoy yourselves, just pretend you didn't meet me. But tomorrow, meet me at Paopu Island at sunrise. I'll show Kairi how to access the Light and we'll head straight to King Mickey's castle. Alright?"

"Alright, thank you Futu-" Sora paused, feeling ridiculous saying his own name with the word 'future' attached. "Could we call you something besides 'Future Sora'? Seems a little silly… Not to mention confusing." Future Sora blinked a few times, and then put on his thinking face.

"How about Sky?" he suggested.

"Works for me," Sora replied, smiling. Riku and Kairi nodded in agreement. "So where will you be in the mean time?"

"Around. Don't worry about me, I can take of myself." Sky looked away with a slightly darker appearance on his face. The next part he more whispered to himself than the others. "I've been doing it for 6 years now." Without another word, he got up and headed for the front door with the others trailing behind him.

"Hey wait!" Sora called to his future self as they walked out the door. He fumbled with the back of his neck as he decided whether or not to ask his question. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the future?" Sky stopped walking and slowly looked over his shoulder. His facial expression couldn't be more different from the present Sora than it was at that moment.

"Eleven."

0o0o0

A/N: So far, so good? How's the opening act? I'm really not a good judge of my own work sometimes. Is it too melodramatic or not serious enough? Predictable? Unoriginal? Or is it actually read-worthy? Please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2: The Return Anniversary

Hourglass

**Hourglass**

Chapter 2: The Return Anniversary

There was a huff as Sora kicked a stray can down the street they were walking down. It had been an hour since he and his two best friends had encountered a future version of himself. And despite Sky's insistence that they enjoy their Return Anniversary exactly the way they had planned, pretending they hadn't met, Sora couldn't take his mind off the warning of events to come. It was all he could think about – a desolate future overrun with Heartless. He was afraid to know just how many of his friends were dead in this future.

"Hello?" The voice of Kairi shook him out of his thoughts. "Earth to Sora! Wakey wakey!" Sora blinked a few times. It was only now that he realized both Kairi and Riku were staring at him with concern. "You okay?" He pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead in hopes it would help clear his head.

"Yeah, I guess my mind was a million miles away," he said, hoping that would bring his friends comfort.

"Thinking about the future?" Riku asked, reading Sora like a book.

"Uh… no, I was…" Sora couldn't think of an adequate excuse. It was pretty obvious he was preoccupied all morning.

Originally, the first thing on their agenda for the day was to go fishing on Play Island and cook up some breakfast, but since they had to bring an unconscious Sky to Riku's house, their plans had to change a little. Instead of fish for breakfast, they settled for cereal. Sora was distracted while eating and only 70 of his food actually ended up in his mouth while the rest he accidentally dribbled down his chin and shirt. So now they were heading back to Play Island for a swim, but Sora was walking very slowly to the docks.

"Look, it's okay to be distracted," said Riku. "It's impossible to pretend we didn't receive news of impending doom and just walk away like it's nothing." He playfully ruffled Sora's head and the brunette couldn't help but feel like his heart was doing a back flip. "All we need to remember is that we're the warriors of light and we're damn good at what we do. So no matter what, we're gonna beat Maleficent. We may as well enjoy today to its fullest. Okay?" Somehow Riku's words brought great comfort to Sora's troubled mind and he broke into a wide grin.

"Right!" He broke out into a sprint. "Betcha I can beat you to the docks!" Riku was quick on the uptake and darted after Sora.

"Betcha you're gonna lose!" Kairi rolled her eyes at their antics and jogged after them at a leisurely pace, lightly giggling all the way.

0o0o0

There was a tremendous splash as Sora did a cannon-ball dive off Paopu Island into the water. Kairi gasped as the cold water drenched her. She was still attempting to get used to its cold temperatures but now there was no need for that, thanks to Sora.

"Jeez, you coulda given me some warning!" Kairi laughed as she splashed water at Sora when he surfaced.

"Your warning was my looming shadow overtaking the beach," Sora joked, splashing Kairi back. He froze when he felt something like seaweed wrap around his foot. Before he could shake it off, it dragged him beneath the waves in one quick movement.

"Sora!" Kairi cried out. Sora thrashed against the force pulling at him and looking down to see none other than Riku with a huge grin plastered on his face. Sora suppressed the urge to groan. With his other foot, he pushed off using Riku's face as leverage. Once he broke the surface, he began laughing heartily as Riku came above the water, a sour expression replacing his earlier grin.

"You didn't have to kick me in the face!" he yelled, diving at Sora to get him in a headlock. Sora swam hastily to avoid being caught, making his way to the beach where he could move faster. Riku caught up quickly and pounced on Sora, pinning him to the sand. The older teen loomed overhead with threatening fingers, millimetres away from Sora's ticklish stomach. Sora was already of bundle of giggles before the tickle attacks began. He thrashed about to free himself and managed to toss Riku off. The silver-headed boy was too belligerently hysterical to continue the assault.

Feeling like he had accomplished his revenge, Riku gave up the pursuit and settled on the beach, scooping up some of the sand and starting to form a mound of it. Sora pouted slightly at the lack of chase and took a seat next to Riku.

After a few minutes of watching him build a large mound of sand, Sora began digging a trench around it with his hands. Riku smoothed out the sides and formed crenels and battlements along the top of his sand mound. Together, the two slowly but surely created a rather impressive sand castle. Once they were finished, they sat back and beheld their masterpiece.

"Sweet," Sora said in a relaxed tone. The castle had three towers, a courtyard in the middle, a semi hollowed-out grand hall, a moat, and a drawbridge made of driftwood. "Let's call it Agrabah Castle."

"Nah, I'm thinking Castle Twilight," countered Riku. "Has a nicer ring to it." Sora narrowed his eyes.

"Agrabah." Riku felt the competitive side of him stir.

"Twilight."

"Agrabah!"

"Twilight!"

"What are you two fighting about now?" asked Kairi as she emerged from the water. "Do we have to settle this the old-fashioned way?" Riku and Sora perked up.

"I think so," Riku nodded.

"Agreed," Sora said.

"You know the rules," Kairi announced, walking along with the two boys to the starting line of their obstacle course. "First one to touch the star and get back wins. I'll be judging. No dirty tricks!" Sora and Riku lined up at the starting point and crouched low.

"Loser has to eat a handful of sand," Riku murmured to Sora.

"You're on," Sora replied.

"On your marks!" Kairi shouted. "Get set!" Sora gritted his teeth and prepared himself. "Go!" There was a blinding flash of light as Sora used his drive technique to transform into his Valor form. "Hey! I said no dirty tricks!"

"All's fair in love and war!" Sora called as he glided off in high speeds. Riku sprinted after him, cursing the whole way. By the time he reached the other side of the pulley, Sora had already reached the golden star and was making his way back. As they passed each other, Riku stuck his foot out and surprisingly managed to trip the airborne Sora, giving Riku enough time to catch up. It was a close finish as the two raced over the last portion of the track – the decaying bridge. Riku was ahead by just a fraction when suddenly, the ground gave out beneath him and he fell into the water below. He had forgotten about the portion of the bridge that gave out anytime someone stepped on it.

"Yes!" Sora cheered as he crossed the finish line.

"This race shouldn't even count!" Riku yelled angrily from his watery seat. "You cheated!"

"I didn't cheat," Sora replied smugly, leaning over the edge of the bridge to gloat at Riku. "I simply used my new skills as an advantage. If anyone cheated, it was you. You tripped me!"

"Because you cheated!" Riku leapt up to the ledge Sora was leaning off. "Kairi, tell him it didn't count! He cheated!" Kairi gave a sympathetic face.

"Honestly, I dunno if Drive Forms are considered cheating," she said slowly, hoping Riku wouldn't direct his death glare in her direction. "We never had a rule for that before." Riku growled in intense frustration.

"Rematch!"

"No way, dude!" Sora said triumphantly. "I won! We're calling it Agrabah Castle."

"We're not calling it that! _You cheated! _I want a rematch!"

"You're just upset because this is the first time I've beaten you at this race. You'll get over it."

"Why you arrogant little-"

"Uh… guys…" Kairi hesitantly said, pointed towards the beach. Sora and Riku looked over just in time to see their beautiful masterpiece sand castle get washed away by a rather large tide. Their jaws dropped open, disbelieving that the object of their temporary rivalry was really gone.

"Agrabah…" Sora whimpered. "My sweet desert paradise…" He shook his head clear. "You still have to eat a handful of sand, Riku."

"No freaking way! YOU CHEATED!!" Riku screamed, his voice cracking at the effort. Kairi couldn't help but laugh at their behaviour. They were acting exactly the same way they did four years ago. Hearing Kairi start laughing caused Sora to begin laughing as well. Riku shifted his glare between Kairi and Sora before finally succumbing to the urge to laugh as well.

"So, lunch?" Kairi offered once her laughter cleared up.

0o0o0

The lunch consisted mostly of sandwiches and fruit. As Riku ate his sandwich, while he wasn't looking, Sora attempted to sprinkle sand on his remaining slice, but Riku caught it at the last second. He gave Sora a swift smack across his hands, then grabbed Sora's tangerine and threw it towards the little spring with the waterfall. Sora huffed and got up to retrieve his tossed fruit. As he approached where it landed, he noticed the entrance to the secret spot. The trio had decided to name it Memory Cave because of all the fond memories it invoked when they were sitting inside looking at the childhood drawings. Sora slowly made his way back to the other two.

"You guys want to check out Memory Cave after we're done eating?" he asked as he brushed off his tangerine and began peeling it.

"Sure," Riku replied, leaning back. "It's been a couple months. And if this is the last day in a while that we'll be here, we may as well say goodbye to that old place."

"Listen to you, Riku," Kairi said with a wistful smile. "'Old place.' You're talking as if you're an old man." She playfully stuck her tongue at him. Riku reached forward to tug on her tongue, but she squealed and tucked it back safely in her mouth.

"Well for someone my age, a couple years is a long time. So forgive my old spirit."

The trio finished eating at a leisurely pace before making their way over to Memory Cave. The entrance seemed a lot smaller since they had last visited. Sora was almost worried he'd never fit. Once inside, it became a little crowded. They rarely visited the cave together like this, so they were unused to the lack of walking space.

The first cave drawing that caught Sora's eye, of course, was the one of Kairi and him sharing a paopu fruit. He checked over his shoulder shyly to see if the others were looking at that drawing too, but they were looking elsewhere, tracing out the lines of their childish drawings. Sora looked back to the one before him and blushed. Kairi had never spoken to him about what it meant, so he assumed it was just a friendship thing. He figured people's destinies could be intertwined without it having romantic implications. It wasn't that he didn't like Kairi. He just felt… pressured to harbour deep romantic feelings that simply weren't there. He naturally assumed it was because of his age and eventually he'd understand the true meaning of love.

"Sora?" Sora jumped a little when Riku called his name. He blushed a little deeper, afraid that Riku could somehow read his thoughts. "Check this out." He pointed towards the doorway leading to the world's heart. Sora looked over, expecting to see something obvious, but saw nothing. He shrugged.

"What?" he asked. Riku rolled his eyes and gave Sora a gentle nudge to the door.

"Look closely." Sora's eyes roamed across the surface of the door and he finally saw what Riku was referring to. There were tiny micro fractures running along the surface, contrasting against the smooth surface of the door. In other places, there were smaller patches of worn, chipped wood appearing as if it were corroding in those spots. But all those inconsistencies weren't bigger than the size of a thumbnail. Someone like Tidus or Wakka probably would have never noticed them unless they were looking very hard for them. Still, it was alarming enough for the two Keyblade-wielders who knew what could happen if their world's heart were exposed and vulnerable.

"Should we tell Sky?" Riku asked once he was sure Sora knew exactly what he was referring to. Sora ran his fingers delicately along the spots of imperfection. He nodded.

"Something tells me he already knows about this," he whispered. He let his hand drop away from the door. "But if this were an immediate problem, I'm sure he would have said something. So let's just forget about it for now." Riku nodded slowly.

"Yeah… He _did_ say to just forget about the future for today. If something bad were supposed to happen today, I think he would have warned us." Riku began heading to the cave entrance. "You guys coming? I still owe you one, Sora, for cheating." Not one to turn down a challenge, Sora charged after Riku.

"I've kicked your ass before and I can do it again!" Sora yelled as he left the Memory Cave. Kairi turned to follow and paused when she saw the drawing that Sora had been looking at earlier. She frowned slightly, unsure if the picture held the same weight it did two years ago when she had completed it.

Before she had a chance to really think about it, Riku called her from outside the cave. "Come on, Kairi! We need a judge!" Kairi snorted with giggles and left the cave without another thought towards the paopu fruit drawing.

0o0o0

"Let's set some ground rules here," Riku announced as he stretched his arms. "No Drives."

"Aw, c'mon!" Sora complained.

"No magic!" Riku pressed on, pretending he didn't hear Sora. "Those aren't true measurements of our physical strength. I won't use Dark Aura, so you don't use Drives. Got it?" Sora pouted and huffed.

"Fine."

"No Cure or potions. If we just kept healing ourselves, the fight will never end."

"Agreed."

"No hitting below the belt. And for god's sake, no _hair-pulling_!" The last time they had sparred, Sora grabbed a chunk of Riku's hair and ripped it out by accident.

"Y'know, I wouldn't be tempted to pull your hair if you would just get a haircut."

"My hair is my pride and joy. Touch it, and you're dead." Riku summoned forth his Keyblade, Way to Dawn. Sora followed suit and summoned his Oblivion Keyblade. "Call it, Kairi."

"First to land five hits is the winner," Kairi explained as she stepped up. "Ready?" She lightly held the blades of both Keyblades together. Sora and Riku nodded determinedly. "I get to face the winner!"

"You're on," Sora said with confidence.

"She wasn't talk about you, she was talking about me," Riku laughed. "I'll be the winner."

"Not a chance!"

"Begin!" Kairi called before they could continue their verbal fight. She released the blades and backed away to a safe distance.

Sora, being eager and unable to sit still, made the first strike. He slashed from the side, which Riku blocked with Way to Dawn. Sora backed up and struck again, this time from above. Riku jumped to the side and attacked. Sora deflected the blade and clashed again. This continued on for a few more seconds until Riku managed to push Sora off balance. As Sora stumbled backwards, Riku ran passed him, tapping Sora's arm with his Keyblade.

"That's one for Riku," Kairi called from the sidelines. Sora growled and doubled his efforts. He aimed for Riku's feet but the older teen jumped over Oblivion. Sora saw an opening and took it. He struck upwards and hit Riku's side. "One for Sora."

Riku backed off and launched forward, clashing with Sora's Keyblade. They stood stalemate for many moments, Keyblades pushing forward against one another in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Sora grinned and freed one hand from the hilt of his weapon, using it to reach forward and tickle Riku's side. Riku squealed rather unmanly and jerked backwards away, giving Sora the opportunity to knock Riku's Keyblade away. Before Riku had a chance to summon it back, Sora took two strikes to Riku's leg and hip.

"Two more for Sora," Kairi announced. "The score is one to three Sora." Riku couldn't almost believe his ears. He never lost when it came to sparring.

"That's it, no more Mr. Niceguy." He launched at Sora with blinding speeds. The brunette lost sight of him for a moment and when his eyes finally caught up to Riku, he was right beside him, his Way to Dawn striking forward. Sora nearly yelped and blocked it just in time. He attacked with a three-combo hit but none of the strikes landed, each one deflected away. Riku did a somersault over Sora's head and hit Sora's back on the way down.

"One for Riku. Score is two to three." The two young men fought for ten more minutes until the score was four to four. Riku got into a battle-ready stance and beckoned Sora to attack. Sora crouched low, ready to pounce. The two stared with fierce determination, neither one prepared to lose this friendly match. Finally, Riku was the one to break the standoff by running forward. At the last second, he slid along the ground, taking Sora by surprise and tripping him. Riku jumped on top and aimed his Keyblade for the final strike, but Sora rolled to the side just in time. He jumped back to his feet and threw his Keyblade at Riku. Riku smacked it aside and dove forward, grabbing Sora's arm with one hand. Sora quickly grabbed Riku's Keyblade with his free hand to keep him from winding up for the attack. Riku struggled to get his Way to Dawn free; meanwhile Sora was summoning his own weapon back and he lost his grip on Riku's Keyblade. There was a flurry of movement and a loud crashing noise as dust and sand rose up from the force of it all, causing Kairi to cough and cover her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again and the dust settled, she saw Riku and Sora standing with their Keyblades pressed firmly against each other's chests. They were both breathing heavily.

"Who won, Kairi?" Riku asked, refusing to break eye contact with Sora. Kairi was at a loss for words. She had missed the final blow and had no idea whom's Keyblade had landed a hit first.

"I think…" She squinted her eyes, pretending to think. "It was a draw."

"What?" Sora and Riku shouted simultaneously.

"It was close, but you guys hit each other at the same time. Looks like you're equal in strength!" She smiled sweetly hoping her ruse would work but was internally wincing, afraid they might get upset. Instead, the two grinned and slowly put down their weapons, letting the Keyblades vanish altogether.

"Good one," Riku said, shaking Sora's hand.

"Nice fight!" said Sora. Kairi let out a sigh of relief.

"So who do I get to face then?" she asked with a hint of a whine. Sora's eyes narrowed and Riku's expression turned serious once more. Their hands drew up into fists and Kairi became concerned that they were going to start fighting again. Instead, they shook their fists before each other, chanting, "Rock, paper, scissors!"

"Paper covers rock," Sora announced, pleased with himself. Riku scowled and found himself a nice seat on the sidelines.

"Kick his ass, Kairi," he cheered. Kairi grinned at the encouragement and summoned her Keyblade, The True Heart. Without another word, she launched at Sora full tilt.

0o0o0

Sora sighed as the cool feel of the sand on his back calmed his racing heart. The battle between him and Kairi was actually a rather tough one. Of course, he was the victor, the final score being 3 to 5, but Kairi certainly gave him a run for his money. She had greatly improved over the last year.

Now the trio were relaxing, watching the sun dip below the horizon, the rays giving off one last bit of golden red sunshine before they were left in the twilight of the day.

"Gorgeous," Riku murmured, sighing contently. Sora and Kairi mumbled agreements. In the backs of their minds, they were thinking this might be the last day they'd see a peaceful sunset like this. A quiet ten minutes went by as they observed the dimming sky above before Kairi was the first to speak.

"So, dinner?" The boys nodded enthusiastically, their solemn thoughts forgotten. They slowly got to their feet and each started doing various tasks. Riku began collecting firewood while Sora dove into the water to catch some fish and Kairi ran off to the nearest coconut tree to collect coconuts and other fruits. Once Riku collected enough firewood, Sora cast a fire spell on the pile and carefully placed the fish he caught on some sticks next to the bonfire. In no time at all, they had a moderate feast for three.

When dinner was finished, Sora dug through his bag until he found a cylindrical object with a cone on one end and a fuse on the other. He kept it hidden from the others as he ran a good distance away from the bonfire.

"Hey!" he called to the others once he was set up. "Check this out!" With a quick fire spell, he lit the fuse and ran back to the other two with lightening speeds. Just before they could question his motives, there was a snap noise and the sky lit up with the brilliant colours of fireworks. Reds, greens, blues and yellows danced across the sky, forming a stylised heart shape before fading away. Riku and Kairi made noises of interest and surprise.

"That was beautiful!" Kairi cried, giving Sora a hug.

"Ditto, except substitute beautiful with a more manly adjective," Riku chimed in, clapping Sora on the back. "How long have you been holding on to that thing?"

"Since yesterday," Sora replied, beaming with pride. "I got a guy in town to customize the image that shows up in the sky. Pretty cool, huh?" He paused a moment to suppress a yawn, but the yawn was contagious and pretty soon Kairi and Riku were yawning as well.

"Should we call it a night?" Kairi asked as she cleared their area of garbage. Sora attempted to nod and murmur a yes as he yawned again.

It only took a short while to clean the campfire area and set up their sleeping stuff in the tree house. They each climbed into their sleeping bags and attempted to get some sleep. Amidst the drowsy hazy, Kairi's small voice said, "Today was a wonderful day…"

0o0o0

A/N: Ack, filler! I hate writing filler chapters! This one took months to churn out. I hope it wasn't as boring to read as it was to write. I promise it gets better!


	3. Chapter 3: Beginning of Something Great

Hourglass

**A/N:** I just wanted to take a moment to thanks those of you who are on board with this story and are leaving reviews. It warms my heart that you guys are enjoying it thus far. Slight spoiler: The next few chapters are pretty fun. You get to start seeing some familiar faces. Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 3: The Beginning of Something Great

Sora groaned and turned over as the first rays of sunlight shone on his face. He mentally willed it to go away, quite enjoying the dream he was having, but he sprung up when he remembered where he had to be at sunrise.

"Hey guys, wake up!" he shouted at his sleeping friends. Kairi whined in response while Riku threw his pillow at Sora. "You guys! Future me is waiting for us! Remember?" At that, Riku and Kairi both sat up quickly and began scrambling around to pack their things up. Within a few minutes, they were ready to go and making their way to Paopu Island. From a distance, they could make out the form of a person standing in the center, waiting patiently. As they crossed the bridge leading to the little island with the bent paopu, they couldn't help feeling like they were walking the plank to their doom. There was Sky, arms folded over his chest, a stern expression on his face. He huffed indignantly.

"You're late," he stated simply. "Sun's been up for over 10 minutes now." Sora was about to argue the point when Riku cut him off.

"Sorry, we were up late last night." Sky shrugged.

"Whatever."

"We saw something!" Sora interrupted. "In Memory Cave! The door to our world's heart is…"

"Cracking, I know," Sky said with a nod. "Don't be concerned. As the forces of darkness grow stronger, the doors protecting the hearts of every world will weaken. That's how Maleficent was able to strike everywhere at once."

"And I shouldn't be concerned?" Sora asked moodily. "Isn't this something to be concerned about?"

"No," Sky replied simply. "Because when the invasion started in my past, our world was the only one _not _attacked. We never found out about the attack until _after_ the forces of light were crippled. The King suspects Maleficent left us out because she didn't want three Keyblade Masters interfering again. I guess that would have fucked up her plans." Sora cringed at his older self swearing again.

"So we should just forget about the cracks in the door?" Riku questioned seriously.

"Yup. Just like that." Riku and Sora were uneasy about simply letting it go. Sky turned to Kairi, addressing her next. "Now can we please get on with this lesson?" Kairi seemed to stand a little straighter. "First step of opening a corridor to the realm of light between each world is to be _aware_ of the realm of light. You need to be able to feel the energy of the pure light in your heart. Have a seat." Sky and Kairi sat down on the ground. "Take a deep breath. Nice and slow." Kairi did as she was instructed. She took a long deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Good, do that for a few minutes. It helps if you close your eyes." She closed her eyes and continued her deep breathing for about five minutes. "Good. Now focus on your inner self. If I recall, in my timeline, you picked up opening corridors really fast. It helps that you've done it before, you know."

"Really? I don't remember that."

"When you wrote that poem and sent it out to sea in a bottle, you transferred a bit of your heart with it. When I found the bottle on the dark shores in the realm of darkness, the connection between our hearts activated the door to light. This time, though, you have Naminé to help you. She's at the center of your heart. Try focusing on her." Kairi squinted and clenched her jaw as she focused intently. Deep within, she could sense the presence of her Nobody. In the same area, she could sense an indescribable energy.

"I think I feel it…" she whispered. Sora and Riku made tiny noises of interest. "It's warm… and safe… It feels like Naminé is reaching out to me…"

"Take her hand," Sky instructed quietly. "Don't be afraid. The purity of your heart will protect you." Kairi concentrated. It felt like the energy she was reaching for was darting through her fingers, eluding her.

"I can't catch it," she said. "It's moving too fast."

"Concentrate. It's all right there. It's not going anywhere unless you let it." Kairi sighed and focused once more on Naminé's outstretched hand. It was pale and golden in her mind's eye. She could see her own hand reaching forward and finally grasping it.

"I got it!" She felt Naminé tug gently, leading her toward a bright light. "There's a light. It's beautiful…"

"That's your heart," Sky said with a smile. "Bring the light out. But be gentle or it'll slip away again." Kairi attempted to pull at the energy, but it wouldn't budge. She pulled a little harder but still could not move the light.

"It's not working," she said.

"It just takes time, that's all. That's why I wanted to start early. It may not seem like the light is moving when you try pulling at it, but it is. Trust me." Kairi nodded and tried again.

An hour passed slowly as Kairi worked on manipulating her light. Each time she came close to drawing the energy out, it would slip away. Sora grew bored and played thumb-wars with Riku to pass the time. Kairi was almost ready to give up when she finally felt the energy release and move within her according to her own will. She let out a cheer when she felt the light surrounding her. Sora, Riku, and Sky were drawn out of their stupor.

"I did it!" she said. Then her face went blank. "Now what?"

"Hold your hand out and let the energy flow through your finger tips," Sky explained. "Force the energy into forming a portal." Kairi held her hand up and squinted as she focused on forming a portal. A tiny visible spark appeared in mid air that began expanding until it was large enough for a person to pass through. It shone bright as the sun, swirling and churning like a whirlpool of gold and white dust. Sora and Riku watched on in awe.

"Cool…" Sora whispered.

"Congratulations, Kairi," said Sky. "You just made your first legit Door to Light." He held his arm out, beckoning the others towards the portal. "Shall we?" The four walked through the door made of light, some more cautiously than others. Once they were through, all but Sky took a moment to get their bearings. It was like standing in a vast abyss of white, but there was no feeling of hopelessness that accompanied venturing through the realm of darkness or the world of nobodies and nothing. They were filled with warmth and optimism.

"The hard part was visualizing something you've never experienced before. Now comes the easy part. All you have to do is sense out which way is Disney Castle, hold your hand out, and open a door to take us back into the regular realm."

"How will I know what Disney Castle 'feels' like?" Kairi asked. "I've never been there before."

"Trust me, you'll know right away. Just use your heart." Kairi hesitated but nodded anyway. She closed her eyes and started turning slowly on the spot. A few seconds later, she felt her heart doing back flips.

"This way!" She pointed towards the direction that her heart was jumping for. Holding her hand up, she summoned a door. The four stepped through it and were brought to a lush green garden with hedges in the shapes of animals playing instruments.

"You did it, Kairi!" Sora cheered. "This is the garden above the gummi shipyard! And that's Disney Castle right there!" He pointed to the courtyard walls beside them, stretching far and tall with impressive pillars holding up the ceilings. From the look of the sky, it was about midday. There was a dull sound in the air, like the sound a lawnmower made when first being started up. Sora looked around for the source, worried that it was something bad. To his surprise and relief, it was none other than Captain Goofy, lying on the grass beneath the shade of a large hedge, snoozing away. A large grin broke out on Sora's face.

"Goofy!" he cried, running forward. Goofy stirred, rubbing his large eyes for a moment before he was flattened by Sora's form. "How you doing, buddy? Man, I've missed you! How's Donald? And King Mickey?"

"Sora, is that you?" Goofy asked drowsily, still trying to get his bearings.

"Of course it's me!" Sora replied back excitedly, giving Goofy some breathing space. There was a brief moment of pause as Goofy tried to determine if he was still sleeping, and once he figured out he was quite awake, he cried out in delight.

"Well I'll be! Sora, it really is you!" he exclaimed, giving Sora a big bear hug. "Gawrsh, it's been so long! How've you been? How did you get here? Aw shucks, we gotta bring you to see the King! He'd love to see ya!" It was then that he noticed the people with Sora. "Well gawrsh, you brought the whole gang with ya! Kairi, always a pleasure to see ya! Riku, glad you could make it! And uh…" He squinted at Sky. Then he blinked. And blinked some more. "Gawrsh, I think I'm seeing double."

"It's a long story," Sky said with a sigh, pushing past Goofy. "We need to see the King immediately."

"Of course, of course," Goofy said as he jumped to his feet. "Right this way!" He led them to the grand doors leading into the castle. They walked through a few breezy hallways until they reached the doors leading to King Mickey's study. Goofy knocked three times and waited until he was invited in. The doors swung effortlessly open despite their large size and the group walked in. The room was lined with enormous bookshelves with countless number of books, furnished with velvet drapery and fine carpeting. At the center of it all was a great mahogany desk and behind that desk was the petite form of King Mickey, writing letters and filing documents all related to his position. He looked up when he finished the paragraph he was working on and was rewarded with an immense shock.

"Goodness, is that you, Sora? Riku?" he said, flabbergasted.

"That's exactly what Goofy just said," said Sora, grinning ear to ear. Mickey broke out into laughter as he made his way over to the group, giving Riku a hug first, and then Sora and Kairi. He paused when he saw the second Sora.

"I suppose there's some important reason you're here," he said, reading the dark expression on Sky's face. Sky nodded solemnly.

"As much as I wish this were only a casual visit, I need to pass along a warning," he said flatly. Mickey's face turned serious. "As you probably guessed, I'm Sora, but I'm from the future. You can refer to me as Sky to avoid confusion."

"The future? How was it possible that you got here?"

"It's all rather complicated, but it has to do with the Cornerstone of Light and the Corridors of both Dark and Light."

"Corridors of Light? I didn't know there was such a thing. I perhaps suspected, but there wasn't any proof before."

"Your proof is standing right in front of you. The Corridors of Light can only be accessed by a Princess of Heart and those connected to her. Kairi here opened the door herself to get us here."

"Amazing… Please, tell me everything. What warning do you bring from the future?" Sky folded his arm over his chest and Sora was instantly reminded of how Leon used to act.

"In about a year's time, Maleficent will strike out against every world at once, commanding an unstoppable army of Heartless. Hundreds of worlds will be lost and countless thousands killed. I'm here to prevent it from happening." Mickey jumped with surprise.

"How?" he said shakily. "I thought she…" He trailed off as the memories came back. "No… I can't believe I forgot…"

"Please don't blame yourself. Even if you had defeated her in the Castle That Never Was, she would have returned even stronger. We were never able to figure out what her secret was or any method to eliminate her. None of that matters now. We need to rally together an army to defend ourselves before she attacks. The plan was to send someone back to 2005 when the walls between the worlds were weakest and they could round up only the strongest warriors to fight Maleficent before she even began building her army, but there must've been a malfunction with the spell. Instead, I was sent to 2006."

"Well how were you sent here in the first place? Perhaps we could use the same method to send you back one year."

"Like I said, it's complicated. They never explained it to me. It would take too long to reproduce the research that went into controlling the forces of light and manipulate the Cornerstone of Light. We just gotta work with what we got." Sky began listing off things they should do to prepare for the imminent threat, including recruiting soldiers from other worlds, establishing bases on some of those worlds, and evacuating the worlds incapable of defending themselves.

"Listen to him," Riku whispered to Sora discreetly. "Sounds like a real general, eh?"

"I'm going to need the top sorcerers to start training units of healers and mages," Sky continued. "Please bring in Yen Sid and Merlin. And we're going to need a fleet of gummi ships for defending against Maleficent's bombing attacks."

"Wait, slow down So- er… Sky," Mickey interrupted. "I have a formidable army already at hand. Perhaps we won't need to involve the other worlds. You said Maleficent struck down every world at once. Well then it's probably a good bet that she had the element of surprise on her side. And she had a whole extra year to prepare."

"Yes, but she's still a powerful enemy. You mustn't underestimate her. Trust me, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Let me send a scouting party out to see what she's got built up so far. I would prefer _not_ to involve other worlds if we don't need to. We have rules and directives for this sort of thing."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, this isn't the time for rules and directives! Thousands of lives are at stake!" Mickey went silent, eying this older Sora carefully. Riku, Kairi, Goofy, and the younger Sora watched on nervously. The tension was rising.

"Let me send a scout," Mickey reiterated, a tone of finality in his voice. "I want to know what we're up against. We'll discuss a plan of action after." Sky looked like he wanted to argue, but instead gritted his teeth and held his temper in check.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We'll wait. But I insist that I be with the scouting party." Sora perked up.

"Me too!" he said. Sky glanced at Sora but said nothing. Mickey looked back and forth between the two Soras, one so young and carefree, and the other older, jagged, and battle-hardened.

"Granted," he said eventually, nodding at them. Sora smiled brightly while Sky merely nodded in response. It took a few seconds for the tension to ease away before Mickey's warm smile returned. "So why don't we get you fellas settled then?" He held his hand out indicating to the doors to lead his guests out. "You can tell me all about your year." The group left the study room in higher spirits, but Sky followed with a slower somber pace.

0o0o0

Sky walked into the courtyard of Disney Castle where Mickey said the scouting party would be waiting. As expected, the chosen members besides himself and Sora were Donald and Goofy.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Sky announced as he held his hand up. A golden swirling portal appeared before him, making the others jump back a little.

"So that's a door to the realm of light between worlds?" Donald asked curiously after the shock wore off.

"Hey, I didn't know you could make them too!" Sora said. "You said only a Princess of Heart could do it."

"And those connected to her," Sky interrupted. "You gotta listen better." He walked through the portal with the others trailing closely behind him. "Once we get to the World That Never Was, you need to stay close and try not to draw attention to yourselves. We're just there to look around and take reconnaissance photos. We don't want to alert Maleficent to our presence."

"Well duh…" Sora muttered. It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the unnatural brightness of the Corridors of Light, but it didn't matter anyway because they were only there for a few seconds. Once Sky had a lock on the World That Never Was, he opened an exit portal and they were through. The drastic light change from bright to dark caused them to pause and allow their eyes to now adjust to the sudden darkness coupled with the neon lights of the skyscrapers around them. Sky was scanning the area for Heartless to make sure their entrance went unnoticed.

"This way," he whispered, waving the others towards the direction he was moving in. He kept close to the walls, his eyes darting back and forth for enemy activity. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he thought this was an immensely bad idea. The only reason he volunteered was to keep the others out of danger. "We should be able to get a good look at Maleficent's barracks from that skyscraper over there." He pointed to the familiar building where Sora remembered having a battle with Xemnas. "In my timeline, she had her armies assemble outside the castle and reserved the inside for her top generals." They dashed behind another building. "I doubt there will be guards around the main doors, but just to be on the safe side, we should find a back entrance." After checking the area thoroughly, they hurried across the street and behind the skyscraper. Sky found an unmarked door obscured slightly behind some boxes. With a bit of force, he got the door open. It led to a staircase. "Perfect." The spiral staircase took them all the way to the top where they exited onto the roof. Sky indicated to the others to stay low. They crouch-walked across the roof until they reached the edge.

Slowly but cautiously, they each peered their heads over the ledge surrounding the roof of the building. From their vantage point, they could clearly see the Castle That Never Was, encampments set up in a perimeter formation around the castle, and strange machines that appeared to be under construction. But that wasn't what disturbed them the most. What disturbed them was the countless number of Heartless swarming in and around the castle, ranging in size from tiny little black demons to giant robotic armored soldiers. It was enough to make Sora, Donald, and Goofy gasp out loud.

"There's so many of them…" Sora whispered. If he had to guess, it looked like there was at least a hundred times the amount he had to fight on plains of Radiant Garden.

"You see now why we're going to need more help?" Sky said back. "And this is only the beginning. Her numbers triple by the time she launches the attack. She's completely unstoppable in my timeline."

"I think we get the point," Donald squawked, getting increasingly more nervous now that he could clearly see what they were up against. "Let's take some pictures and get out of here before someone sees us!" Sky nodded in agreement. He pulled out his camera and began snapping quick pictures of the castle, the army camps, the Heartless, and anything else he figured was of value. Unfortunately, the flashes from his camera drew the attention of a group of Heartless soldiers across the street in another building. There was a loud trumpet-like noise signally that Sky and the others had overstayed their welcome.

"Quickly!" Sora hissed, watching as a large group of ground troops split off from the main group around the camps and starting marching towards their skyscraper. Sky didn't need to be told twice and quickly opened a portal to take them back to Disney Castle.

On the other side, King Mickey, Riku, and Kairi were waiting for them in the courtyard.

"How did it go?" Mickey asked. Sky silently handed over the camera with the photos. Mickey flipped through them without a word, his face getting gradually more intense and severe by the moment.

"Your Majesty, her numbers are far too great for us to handle alone," Goofy explained. "We're definitely going to need help." Mickey's frown deepened and he sighed.

"If it can't be helped, I'll begin sending out envoys immediately. Sora, you and your friends should start visiting some of the worlds you've been to before. Start with Radiant Garden. Take this list of viable worlds with warriors or armies. Sky, Donald, make your way to Twilight Town and summon Yen Sid to the castle. Goofy, I want you to start training your troops to defend against Heartless attacks."

"Yes sir!" said Sora, Donald, and Goofy with a sharp salute. Sky made a quick portal and he and Donald were off. With minimal difficulty this time around, Kairi was able to create her own portal that she, Sora, and Riku disappeared through it.

0o0o0

Sora, Riku, and Kairi blinked the white spots out of their eyes when they emerged from the Corridors of Light. They were standing in an empty street in Radiant Garden. Judging by how built up the city was, the reconstruction efforts were doing great. Sora couldn't help feeling a tinge of excitement to be back amongst the worlds he had traveled to just a year before. Out of all the worlds he had visited, Radiant Garden was definitely one of his favourites.

"Let's go see if the Restoration Committee is home!" he suggested brightly, jogging down the streets he knew well. Despite all the new buildings and the old ones being renovated, he still knew his way around the city. He was happy to seem more people wandering the streets than last time he had visited. It looked more and more like a real city instead of a battleground.

It wasn't long before he was standing in front of the familiar wooden door leading to the Restoration Committee's Headquarters. He knocked hard three times. Moments later, the eye-level slot opened. The eyes that peered out were full of suspicion, but once they laid on Sora, they widened and the slot snapped shut, followed by the door swinging wide open.

"Sora!" cried the exuberant Yuffie as she charged the young brunette with a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hi Yuffie!" said Sora. "It's good to see you too!" Riku and Kairi waved awkwardly at Yuffie. Neither one had ever been properly introduced to the energetic ninja girl. She waved them all inside. The room looked exactly the way it did one year ago, only it was empty save Yuffie.

"Sorry about the peep hole dealie. Can't be too careful these days. Saboteurs, you see."

"Saboteurs?" Kairi said, her face creasing with worry. "Why would anyone want to sabotage the work you guys have been doing?"

"There's a group out there trying to seize power in Radiant Garden. Ever since we established the government 6 months ago. The Restoration Committee is now the Delegates of Radiant Garden! We run things now!"

"Congratulations," Riku said. "Sounds exciting and dangerous all at once."

"It is!" Yuffie said happily. "But we've been doing fine so far."

"Where is everyone?" Sora asked.

"Oh they're all down at Castle Luminous. We converted the Hollow Bastion castle into a government meeting place where the Delegates and the Senators from each region of Radiant Garden can get together and… uh… delegate, I guess. It's still under construction, though."

"So why aren't you there too?"

"We take shifts in the Restoration HQ to monitor security and maintain the peace. We're much more than the leaders, we're also the police."

"Wow," Sora mused. "No rest for the wicked, eh?" He grinned and Yuffie chuckled.

"Yup! So what brings you to our neck of the woods anyway? Just visiting?"

"Not quite. It's a long story. Is there any way you could grant us an audience with Leon, Aeris, Cid, and Merlin?"

"Oh Merlin's not here anymore. He went back to his home in Camelot."

"Oh… I had no idea his home was somewhere else…"

"Anyway, sure, I'll get Leon on the wire right away." Yuffie went to the computer in the corner and began typing seemingly random numbers and letters. A few minutes later, a video box popped up on the screen containing Leon's face.

"What's this I'm reading about Sora being back in town?" he said with a smirk. Sora jumped into the chair in front of the computer, bumping Yuffie aside.

"Hey Leon!" Sora said excitedly. "How's it going?"

"It goes well, kid," Leon replied. "I assume Yuffie's given you the details on our latest accomplishments?"

"Oh yeah! Sweet deal you got going for you. Nice going!"

"Thanks. Now Yuffie wrote you have something you wanted to tell us?"

"Oh god, where do I start?" Sora proceeded to tell Leon and Yuffie everything that had happened in the last two days concerning a future version of himself showing up with warnings of a terrible future and the massive army that Maleficent was building. "So now we're recruiting others to join the Soldiers of Light to counter her forces. Can we count you guys in?"

"Our resources are spread a little thin at the moment, but we'll do our best." Leon paused to suppress a chuckle. "Soldiers of Light? Who came up with that silly name?"

"I did just now!" Sora beamed with pride. "You like it? It's got a ring to it, right?" Leon coughed to cover up his brief moment of laughter. Sora hardly noticed.

"If you say so." Leon regained his composure. "Anyway, why don't you come down to the castle and we'll discuss this some more in person. Technically, I'm not allowed to make decisions like this on my own. It'd need to be put to a vote involving all the Delegates and Senators."

"Understood. Be there in a few." The video screen disappeared and the computer continued its functions as per normal. Sora said his goodbyes to Yuffie, and together with Riku and Kairi, the three teens left to go to Castle Luminous.

0o0o0

There were definitely drastic changes made to Hollow Bastion. The gloom and depression that used to plague the air surrounding the fortress was completely lifted from the atmosphere. The outward appearance of the castle itself no longer resembled a stronghold of darkness or an organic monstrosity experiment gone terribly wrong. It actually looked like a real castle with flags of freedom and hope billowing in the wind atop towers and spires. And the restoration efforts were still visible with the construction cranes and scaffolding surrounding the unfinished parts of the castle.

Sora stared in awe at how different the castle looked from the last time he had saw it. He was amazed such a work of art could have ever come from something so horrendously evil-looking as Hollow Bastion. He was literally bumped out of his thoughts when a young man roughly brushed by him in the opposite direction, his head low. Sora glared but quickly put it out of his mind and went back to admiring the beauty of Castle Luminous. They were approaching the main entrance, a huge set of metal doors that were open at the moment. Just beyond was a city square of sorts, presumably where they held parades, festivals, and political announcements. At the moment, it was buzzing with activity. People were walking around, conversing, and heading to where ever.

Sora was once again jarred out of his thoughts when he heard an explosion followed closely by a terrible grinding noise like someone scratching nails down a chalkboard. His head whipped up to the source of the noise and was met with the horrifying sight of one of the tallest construction cranes breaking in half and tipping over almost as if in slow motion. It was falling towards the main section of the castle. People were shouting and shrieking in terror at the tragedy in progress.

Instinctively, Riku and Sora leapt from their positions with lightening speeds to the nearest lowest roof, up to the next highest roof and so on until they were high and close enough to where the break in the crane was. Sora cast Aero to the falling crane, suspending it in midair mere meters away from the roof of the castle. Riku used his Dark Aura to push the crane upwards and maneuver it upright while Sora cast Fira on the severed area, essentially welding the broken joint back together. By the time they had finished mending the crane, Leon and the other Delegates had arrived outside to see what the commotion was all about.

Sora and Riku jumped back down to join the others on the ground and were met with applause and cheers.

"You always did know how to make an entrance," Leon said smugly, patting Sora on the back. "Welcome back to Radiant Garden." Aeris and Cid stepped forward as well, shaking Sora's hand and exchanging greetings.

"Any ideas on what happened?" Kairi asked, referring to the near-miss accident.

"A malfunction?" Riku suggested.

"No, that would be our lovely friends, the Righteous Hearts," Leon said with annoyance in his voice. "They've been trying to sabotage our efforts to finish construction on the castle. Anything to be a thorn in our side."

"They're the ones Yuffie spoke of, right? The ones trying to seize power?"

"The same. They don't believe we have what it takes to lead our people out of the 'Dark Ages', as they call it. We lack vision, apparently." Leon groaned in frustration. "I'm just glad you guys got here right when you did. Who knows how many people could have been killed in that accident." A thought suddenly crossed Sora's mind.

"I don't know if this means anything or not," he starting saying. "But I saw a guy rushing off shortly before the explosion went off. Maybe he had something to do with it."

"Who knows?" Leon said gruffly. "The Righteous Hearts are like ghosts. You never know who's one of them and the only time you know they're there is when they _want_ you to know they're there. No doubt we'll be getting a message from them soon enough, them owning up to the crane accident."

"But enough of that," Cid interrupted. "Why don't we bring you in to meet the other Delegates and Senators? You can make your proposal directly and we can vote by the end of today."

"Whoa, wait a second," Sora exclaimed, putting his hands up. "I'm no ambassador! I failed public speaking in 10th grade! How do you expect me to explain to a room full of people that we're going to be attacked in a year and we need help to prevent it?"

"Exactly the way you just did right now. Only louder. Now come on!" Cid grabbed Sora by the ear and dragged him off towards the main entrance; all the while Sora was making a pleading look at Kairi and Riku.

"Help me…" he hissed. Riku huffed in a manner that said 'Tough!' and Kairi merely rolled her eyes in a comical fashion. There was no way in hell Kairi or Riku would voluntarily trade places with Sora at the moment.

0o0o0

"And… uh… that's why you shun, I mean should… uh… lend us… some p-people? Uh, fighter peoples. I mean soldiers!" Sora stuttered nervously, fumbling with a sheet in his hands that contained his quickly thrown-together speech. Before him sat over 40 Delegates and Senators from across Radiant Garden, staring with unreadable faces that almost never seemed to blink or shift. It lay solely on Sora's shoulders to convince them that sending the armies to aid King Mickey was a good idea. "Because… um… we'd really… like it…" Riku, sitting in the audience with the rest of the Delegates, had a hand over his face in embarrassment. "Thankyouandgoodday." Sora stiffly walked off stage, nearly tripping over his own feet as he found his seat again. A few seconds later, Leon was standing at the podium that Sora just left.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced clearly, a striking contrast to Sora's poor speaking skills. "To add to what the Keyblade Master has already said, this is a danger that threatens us all. Let us now vote to see if we shall impart our armies to assist the…" He grimaced when he said the next part. "…Soldiers of Light. All in favor of keeping our armies here?" Roughly fifteen people put their hands up. Sora felt a little sick. "All in favor of sending our armies to Disney Castle?"

Twenty-five hands rose, as did Sora's spirits.

"Ruling has passed," Leon said. "Our troops will prepare for departure within the week. Dismissed." There were murmurs as people left their seats and began exiting the auditorium. Sora took a long deep breath to help calm his nerves. Public speaking wasn't his strong suite. His moment of peace was interrupted when he was ambushed with a hug.

"Great job, Sora!" Kairi exclaimed, detaching herself from him. "You did well!"

"Are you kidding?" Sora laughed self-consciously. "I was terrible! The only reason I got the majority vote was because I'm representing King Mickey. No one would ever turn down a request from King Mickey!"

"Fifteen people did," Riku said as he joined his friends, jabbing Sora in the ribs with his elbow. "I guess they're not fans of the Mouseketeers."

"Mouseketeers? Nice name. Sounds better than Soldiers of Light."

"Anything sounds better than Soldiers of Light," Leon commented as he passed by. "Congratulation, by the way."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi were silent as the room emptied out until Sora frowned. "Did he just diss me?"

0o0o0

A/N: More to come. It's world-hopping time!


	4. Chapter 4: A Pair of Jacks

Hourglass

**A/N:** This chapter is a personal favourite of mine.

**Hourglass**

Chapter 4: A Pair of Jacks

Sora, Riku, and Kairi were met with a cold and rainy blast when they exited the Corridors of Light. It was presently nighttime on the world they just stepped foot on and there were heavy winds blowing cold rain and ocean water around. The ground beneath their feet rocked and swayed. Sora shielded his eyes as a powerful wave crashed into the side of the ship they were standing on. Through the noise of the waves and winds, Sora could hear orders being shouted out frantically. Around him, people in shabby outfits were running about performing various tasks.

"Uh… are you sure we're in the right place?" Riku asked loudly over the noise.

"My heart told me this was the place to open a door," Kairi explained, covering her head as another wave bombarded the ship. "Sora?" Sora was scanning for a familiar face among the people running around.

"There!" he called, pointing to the helm of the ship. None other than Captain Jack Sparrow was desperately steering the Black Pearl wildly left and right. "Captain!" Sora ran up the small set of stairs to reach Jack. "Captain Sparrow, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sorry, no time to talk," Jack said quickly, steering sharply to the left. The teens had to grab onto the railing to keep their balance.

"But Captain, we need your help!" Sora pleaded, following Jack when the stressed pirate ran over to where a rope came loose while simultaneously checking his compass. "There's going to be an attack in a year and we need you and your crew to help fight!"

"Busy!" Jack snapped, pushing past Sora to get to the helm again. "Busy, busy! Savvy?!" The ship shook violently as if struck, but there were no other ships visible on the water. Sora was about to question it but received his answer when a giant tentacle arm rose from the water and slammed down on the stern, taking out a cannon and two pirates.

"What is that?!" Kairi shrieked.

"It's the Kraken!" shouted another voice. Sora turned to see Will Turner who was tying a thick rope to a metal pole. "Seems Jack made some kind of deal with Davey Jones and now the Kraken's here to collect." He didn't sound pleased at all about it. The teens summoned their Keyblades upon hearing the explanation and prepared for battle. The ship shook again as another tentacle made its appearance above the surface of the ocean.

Sora was the first to react, jumping in the air and striking down the tentacle as it began curling around the mast. There was a loud roaring noise as the tentacle retracted and swung out, knocking Sora back against the edge of the ship mere inches from falling off. Kairi and Riku dove at the flailing appendage, slicing at different points. More howls of pain indicated they were having an effect on the sea beast.

Riku was unprepared when a tentacle shot out of the water and wrapped around his leg. He cried out in surprise when the monster pulled him off his feet and dragged him across the deck towards the starboard side while another tentacle smacked Kairi into the staircase.

"Riku!" Sora yelled out, leaping to his feet and running after Riku. He made a dive to grab Riku's arm but was a moment too late as the Kraken hauled Riku into the watery depths. Without a moment of hesitation or thought of personal safety, Sora jumped off the starboard into the ocean after them. His body seemed to freeze on contact with the icy cold water but he foraged on. Through the murkiness and rushing waves, he could barely see the shadowy form of a giant squid with monstrous eyes and an even more terrifying mouth of razor sharp teeth. Struggling in one of its arms was Riku, flailing and attempting to land a hit with his Keyblade. Sora wasted no time cutting off the tentacle that was holding Riku captive. He got a hold of his best friend's arm and together they swam to the surface, gasping for breath.

"Are you okay?" asked Sora worriedly.

"I'm fine," Riku replied, still taking deep breaths. "Thanks."

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi called from the ship as she tossed down a rope. "Grab hold!" Doing as they were instructed, they were dragged back on board with the others.

"What are we supposed to do?" Sora whimpered. "That thing's unstoppable! It's got like a million arms and every time we cut one off, another ten grow in its place."

"You're exaggerating," Riku scolded, walking toward the helm. "We just gotta keep working on it. It'll go down eventually."

"Not true," interrupted Jack, who was finally paying attention to the trio. "I've been outrunning the creature for days. What we've got to do is make landfall. Squids don't like land, last time I checked." He paused to give his compass a good whack. "Problem is, I've gone and angered a sea goddess and now we're lost in a storm. Can't make heads or tails of this blasted thing." He pointed to his compass, which was spinning rather oddly. He thrust the little box into Sora's hands. "You give it a shot, lad! See what comes of it!" The moment Jack relinquished control of the magical device, it pointed solidly in one direction off the port bow. "Ah ha!" He jumped back to the helm and turned the wheel left, barking orders as he did. "Arr, scurvy dogs, rope the mast, port bow!"

The Black Pearl rocked sideways as it changed course a little to the left. Another loud roaring noise reminded the crew that they were still being pursued. Sora dumped the compass back into Jack's hands and ran to the stern to fend off attacks from behind. Sure enough, a tentacle was reaching after the ship. Sora, Riku, and Kairi used their weapons to deflect any attempts by the Kraken to sweep across with its deadly limbs. To slow it down, Sora and Riku were casting various spells at it.

"Land ho!" shouted a pirate near the bow of the ship. The crew only had a moment to brace themselves before the ship crashed onto the beach of Port Royal at high speeds, then lurched to the side from the lack of water beneath the hull and the crew were flattened or thrown from the ship. Once the Black Pearl came to a complete stop, the first people to move were the most terrified of the group, followed quickly by Jack Sparrow himself, who wanted nothing more than to put as much distance between himself and the beach.

"Jack, get back here!" Will yelled as he jumped to the beach after the notorious pirate. "We had a deal!"

"Just what is going on here?" Sora shouted out of frustration. "What deal did Jack make? Why does it warrant the use of a giant squid? What sea goddess did he piss off? And why was his compass on the fritz until he passed it to me?"

"It's a long story, but I don't have much time to explain it," Will said before briskly running after the fleeing pirate. Sora and his friends had no choice but to follow. The path from the beach took them to a small port town with walls surrounding it to protect it from naval attacks presumably. They were eventually able to catch up to the winded Jack Sparrow and the angry Will Turner.

"Tell you what," Jack said between catching his breath. "New deal. Sora, if you and your friends can kill the Kraken, then I'll agree to help you with whatever you were rambling about and we can all be on our merry way, savvy? We have a deal or not, lad?"

"What about our deal?" Will asked impatiently. "You said you'd give me the compass so I could free Elizabeth! Her life is at stake!"

"Wait, what?" Sora snapped. "Oh god, will someone please tell me what's going on?!"

"Elizabeth and I were arrested for helping _him_," Will explained, referring to Jack with contempt. "The man who arrested us said if we could bring him Jack's compass, he'd drop the charges and we'd be free to go, otherwise we'd be executed." Sora made a hissing noise, disapproving of that punishment. "Well I tracked down Jack only to find out he's gone and angered every ocean deity from Davey Jones of the Flying Dutchman to Calypso of the seas. So we made a deal that if I brought him the key to the chest containing Davey Jones' heart, he'd give me the compass. Well that was _days ago_, Jack! And you still haven't given me the compass! Elizabeth meanwhile rots in a dungeon!"

"Why is Davey Jones after you?" Sora asked Jack. Jack made a guilty face and seemed to try to find a way to avoid answering the question.

"Well, bein' a pirate is hard work for beginners…" he trailed off. "I just needed… a little starter. I asked Davey Jones to let me captain the Black Pearl for ten years… And here we are ten years later… The price, of course, was my very soul."

"You gave up your soul for a ship?!" Sora shrieked, getting more and more aggravated by the minute.

"Hey!" Jack said indignantly. "Not just any ship! The Black Pearl!"

"Well why not fight that thing yourself?"

"You think I haven't already tried? The beast is nigh unbeatable by ordinary means. But you three…" He pointed at the trio. "You all have those swords. They seem to be the only things strong enough to leave a scratch. You're the only ones who can kill it!"

"I don't believe this…" Sora groaned, rubbing the temples of his head as he felt a headache coming on. "And this is one of the men King Mickey wants helping us fight against Maleficent?"

"So do we have a deal or not?" Jack butted in. "Kill the Kraken, win a Jack Sparrow. Sounds good, eh?" Sora didn't exactly like the idea of fighting Jack's battle for him, but at the moment, he had no choice. It was the only way to get Jack and his crew on their side. Sora looked to his friends for some kind of indicator of what they were thinking. Kairi smiled weakly, shrugging. Riku sighed and nodded.

"Fine," Sora said at last. "We'll kill the stupid thing. Just promise me! Pirate's code or whatever, you'll uphold all your deals. And I mean ALL of them!"

"Pirate's honour!" Jack said, trying to put on an innocent face while holding his right hand up. Sora nodded and waved his friends to join him on the beach again. From the edge of the beach, they could see the monster squid swimming in circles where the water was deep enough.

"Okay, here's the plan," Sora began explaining. "Two of us are going to go in first and start cutting off its arms. While it's distracted, the third person is going to attack its head and take out the eyes so it can't see us. Then together we'll…" He felt uncomfortable saying the next part. "We'll cut its head off."

"That's brutal," Riku muttered.

"Look, it's not exactly my ideal way of brokering a deal with Jack, but killing the beast is the only way to get him to join us." Sora rubbed his face tiredly. "God, I hope we don't have to do something like this on every world we travel to…"

"So who's the first strike team going to be and who takes out the eyes?"

"No eye-popping for me," Kairi said with a cringe. "I'm only just getting used to the idea of cutting wiggling tentacles off."

"I'll take out the head," Sora said, shivering. There was something about stabbing giant eyes out that made him squeamish. "Alright, let's go!"

Riku and Kairi charged across the beach into the water. They got in range and began hacking and slashing at the tentacles of the Kraken. Sora counted to three and ran into the water after them, swimming carefully around the moving limbs to get to the Kraken's head. He broke the surface for a moment to take a deep breath, then submerged again and plunged his Keyblade deep into one of the Kraken's eyes. It roared loudly in pain, shaking the water like a tsunami, and used one of its free arms to slap Sora away. Sora recovered quickly, surfaced again for another deep breath, and swiftly took out the other eye. At that, the Kraken began violently thrashing about blindly, striking to and fro with its remaining limbs.

The trio backed off for a moment to regain their strength and avoid being hit. After a few minutes of the Kraken struggling to find its enemies with no avail, the trio went back in for another round. Riku and Kairi were on tentacle-slicing duties while Sora went straight for the head. He very nearly closed his eyes as he delivered the final slash straight through the middle of the beast's body from top to bottom. Kairi gagged as the water around them turned a sickly crimson with blood. They only lingered a moment to ensure the creature was dead and then jetted back to the beach.

Sora collapsed on the sand, feeling somewhat sick. He glanced at his Keyblade and his sick feeling increased dramatically. The blade was covered in a jelly-like substance from the squid's eyes. This had to be the most disturbing battle Sora had ever fought. Most of his enemies in the past were Heartless or Nobodies and they vanished when defeated. Sora had never really killed an actual living creature before, let along one that big.

"That was so gross…" Kairi gasped, laying flat on her back. "There was so much blood…"

"I think I'm traumatized…" Sora moaned. He knew that image of the Kraken coming apart in two pieces would stay with him forever. The trio's brief moment of relief was cut short as Jack came running onto the beach.

"So how'd it go?" he asked excitedly.

Sora gave him a weak glare. "It's dead."

"Perfect! Now what was it you wanted from me?"

"You have to join our army." Sora sat up. "We need soldiers to fight off the attack that's coming. You and your crew are now Soldiers of Light." Jack gave a blank look that quickly turned confused.

"Soldiers of Light?" He paused, looking at the ocean, then to his ship, and back to Sora. "You want me to fight a war?" Sora nodded. "Well see that's going to be a problem. I'm a pirate, you see. I have a reputation to uphold. I can't go doing good deeds like fightin' a war for Light Soldiers or whatever."

"Oh come off it!" Sora snapped. "You've done stuff like this before! You helped defeat Barbossa a year ago! How is this any different?"

"Because, lad, it's an army called _Soldiers of Light_. Savvy?"

"Does everyone hate that name?" Sora groaned.

"It _is_ kinda cheesy, you have to admit," Riku piped up.

"Fine, forget about the name for a minute! We're all in danger of being killed by an army of evil little Heartless monsters! Every world is in danger! That's why we need to take you and your crew to Disney Castle! Is that enough incentive for you?"

"Traveling to Disney Castle, eh?" Jack asked. "Well in that case, sign me up. I could use a bit o' fun to lighten up my days."

"What he means is," Will interrupted as he joined them on the beach. "He'll take any excuse to get out of Port Royal and the Caribbean. He's a marked man here, but somewhere else, he'd be free from his debt to Davey Jones. Isn't that right Jack?"

"Technicalities, mate," Jack said as he waved Will off.

Sora made a strange face. "You're not a very brave pirate, are you, Jack?"

"I just agreed to help you fight a war. And I'm not brave?" Jack started making his way back to the Black Pearl. "Besides, Davey Jones isn't one to laugh about. Anyone would be terrified of him. Living out eternity as a mindless soul forever trapped on his ship or in the wastelands of Jones' locker. Neither are pleasant." He began making the climb back onto the deck. "So where is this Disney Castle? Let's set sail immediately."

"Uh… actually, Captain, it's not on this world. We'd have to open a door to the Corridors of Light." The blank confused look was back on Jack's face.

"I'm not following you, lad. Where is it?"

Kairi sighed and decided a demonstration was in order. She held up her hand and opened a door almost immediately that shone as brilliantly as the sun in the sky. Many pirates, including Will Turner, jumped back in fright.

"Witch!" one pirate shouted. "She's a witch!"

"Oh knock it off!" Kairi growled. "This is how we're getting to Disney Castle." Jack jumped down from his ship and came forth to examine the magical portal. He walked all around it, scrutinizing every angle, every side. Finally, he grinned.

"Well, lassie, I don't know how you did it, but if this is my ticket out of Port Royal, I'll take it." He gestured to his still-stunned crew. "Arr, scurvy dogs! Fall in line and prepare for departure!" He tossed his compass to Will. "Go save your bonnie lass." Will nodded graciously and jogged off. Jack turned back to Sora and his friends. "So how do we go about bringing along the Black Pearl?" Sora and his friends exchanged looks.

"Uh…you really don't need it where we're going…" Sora tried explaining. "Besides, how would we transport it?" Jack's face fell.

"Not bringing her? I didn't spend years trying to get her back from Barbossa only to leave her behind!"

"Sorry Jack, but we're just not equipped to bring her. Let me talk to King Mickey when we get there. Maybe he could have a team bring it later." An idea suddenly popped into Sora's head. "Or maybe we could upgrade it so it can fly like a gummi ship!" Jack became thoroughly confused at that.

"A what ship?"

"Never mind, we'll work on it later. Let's just get a move on to Disney Castle. We still have a lot of worlds to get through." Jack nodded and waved his crew through the golden portal. Once they were all through, Sora breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I can't believe this is only the second world we've be to…"

0o0o0

Some time had passed since Sora had gotten the crew of the Black Pearl settled at Disney Castle. Goofy was in charge of briefing the new recruits on their mission and the training they'd be undergoing. Now the trio was back in the Corridors of Light on their way to the next world.

"Before we go any further," Sora announced, stopping his friends. "I should give you these." He held out two black rings.

"Polygamy?" Riku joked. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes, dear, so long as you get to wear the dress. Anyway, these are magic rings that Donald designed. When we equip them, they allow us to blend into unusual worlds, such as the Pride Lands or Atlantica." Riku and Kairi accepted the rings and put them on. "All right, let's go." Kairi proceeded to open an exit door.

The moment they stepped through, their appearances changed. Sora donned his familiar black vampiric outfit with white accents, fangs, and an orange pumpkin on his head. Kairi made a squeak of surprise when she saw him.

"I'm guessing this is one of those worlds you were talking about?" she asked. Her own outfit had changed from pink to black, there was a chain around her waist, a black sheer addition to the bottom of her dress, her shoes became knee-high boots, and she was donning a little metal crown.

"Uh… guys?" Riku's voice had a somewhat worried tone. His change was the most interesting out of the three. His outfit had become completely devoid of colour and he had an almost transparent appearance.

"Cool!" Sora exclaimed. "Riku's a ghost!" Riku was looking down at himself.

"This isn't permanent, is it?" But his question went unanswered as Sora and Kairi waved their hands through his ethereal body. "Hey stop it!"

"So guys, what do you think of Halloween Town so far?" Sora asked excitedly. "C'mon, I want you to meet Jack Skellington!"

"Another Jack?" Riku groaned.

The trio made their way through the graveyard to the town's main gate. Next to the gate was Zero the ghost dog. It began barking happily when it saw the trio coming. It ran up to Riku and starting jump up his side.

"Looks like someone likes you!" Sora laughed. "You know what they say. Birds of a feather."

"They also say shut up."

They walked through the gate into the town square. It was lavishly decorated with Halloween decorations and tables with delightfully disgusting-looking goodies and treats. In the center was a large stone pot with bubbling green goo. The only thing missing was the people. The town square was completely deserted. Sora scratched his head slowly. It looked like the townspeople were on the verge of celebrating Halloween, except they weren't there.

"I wonder where everyone is…" he murmured. They wandered around for a few more minutes trying to get an idea of what happened to all the people. When they arrived at the town hall, they could hear a faint sobbing noise. Investigating it, they found the Mayor sitting on the front steps of the town hall, crying overdramatically while Sally sat next to him, patting his back gently.

"Mayor? Sally?" Sora said, stepping forward. "Mayor, what's wrong?"

"My festival… My beautiful festival…" the round mayor sobbed. "Ruined!"

"How? What happened?"

"Oh, it's what didn't happen! It's half an hour before the start of the annual Halloween festival, and Jack Skellington, the King of the festival, is _nowhere to be found_!" The Mayor broke down again. Sora winced.

"Is he in Christmas Town again?"

"No, I already checked," Sally answered. "He promised he wouldn't go back there again. Oh, where is he?" Sora turned to his friends for help and they merely shrugged.

"Uh, maybe now's not a good time to ask, but could we ask for your assistance? You see, Maleficent is planning an attack on everyone in a year and we need everyone's help to prevent it."

"No!" the Mayor cried, still bawling his eyes out. "I won't help you unless you find Jack for me."

"Are you serious?" Sora groaned. "Sir, we're talking about the fate of the universe type deal here."

"This is far more important than your silly universe! My festival must go off without a hitch!" The Mayor stomped off to his town hall and slammed the door behind him.

"I apologize for his behavior," Sally whispered. "But Halloween is the single most important thing here. If our festival isn't better than last year's, our reputation would be ruined. It would mean the end of Halloween Town."

Sora sighed. "I guess we're on the hunt for Jack Skellington. Let's move out." The trio went out to the forest with the large tree trunks containing the doors to other holiday towns like Christmas Town. "Okay, so we know he's not in Christmas Town. Let's try… Easter Town." They opened the colourful egg-shaped door and walked through.

Their outfits changed once again. Sora's gloves became fuzzy paws, his shoes became furry bunny feet, and the orange pumpkin on his head became a pair of floppy bunny ears. Kairi's dress went from black to white with a pink zigzag running around her waistline, the hood of her dress sprouted bunny ears, and the little crown on her head became a multicoloured egg in a yellow egg-holder cup. Riku's body became corporeal once more and his outfit turned white with yellow accents.

"…Okay, this is weird…" Riku said. The area they were standing in was a beautiful bright meadow with large trees containing the same doors to other towns. Hopping past were a multitude of white rabbits with brown egg-filled baskets in their mouths. "I stand corrected. _That_ was weird."

"Welcome to Easter Town!" said one large rabbit the size of a child. "I'm the Easter Bunny, mayor to this fair town. Would you visitors like to have something to eat? We have chocolate cafes and restaurants that serve a variety of egg meals!"

"Uh, no thanks!" Sora said with a smile. "We're just looking for a friend of ours, Jack Skellington. Have you seen him?"

"I'm afraid not," the Easter Bunny answered. "We're usually quick to greet all visitors to our town."

"That's all right, we'll just be on our way now." The trio looked to the other doors. "Let's try… New Year Town."

"G'bye strangers! Come back any time!" called the Easter Bunny as the teens walked through the party hat-shaped door.

"God that was weird!" Riku said with a cringe. "Everything was so… bright!" Loud cheers and noisemaker toys interrupted his next thought as they exited the door. All around them, confetti was sprinkling from the air like rain from an unknown source. There were hundreds of people standing about with cocktail glasses in one hand and noisemakers in the other, party hats on their heads, and fancy attire on their bodies. It looked like one wild party all around them. The teens looked down at themselves to see what their outfits had changed into this time.

Sora and Riku were wearing tuxedos and mini top hats while Kairi was wearing a long red halter dress and a petite crown on her head.

"5…4…3…2…1!" the crowd chanted. "_HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!_" They erupted with a wall of noise so loud that Sora, Kairi, and Riku had to cover their ears until the racket subsided.

"Excuse me!" Sora called to the nearest group of partygoers next to him. "Have you see a tall fellow recently? Sort of skeletal? Black and white stripe suit?" Either the group didn't hear or care what Sora had to say because they went right on cheering and blowing on their noisemakers and sipping their cocktails. Sora tried another group. "Excuse me! Sir? Ma'am?" But his attempts to communicate were for naught. The people were far too engrossed in their party to notice the teens.

Suddenly, there was a loud voice over an announcement system. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen." The crowd went silent almost immediately. "The next New Year celebration will begin in one hour."

"One hour?" Kairi repeated, confused. "That's a little over-excessive." Now that the crowd was quiet, Sora attempted to talk to one of them again.

"Pardon me, but have you seen a man named Jack Skellington here recently?" he asked a gentlemen who appeared to be a maître d'.

"Nope, sorry, his name's not on the guest list," the maître d' replied, flipping through a booklet full of names. "And for that matter, you are…?"

"Leaving," Sora said, laughing nervously. "Thank you anyway." He grabbed his two companions and quickly made their way back to the set of doors. "Okay, let's try St. Patrick's Town." They walked through the green cloverleaf-shaped door.

The moment they stepped foot through the door, they were bombarded with the strong smell of beer and whiskey. All their outfits changed to green. Riku and Kairi were sporting green bowler caps while Sora was wearing a green top hat.

"God, this place stinks!" Kairi hissed as she covered her nose. The forest they were in wasn't far from the town and it was a short walk to the town square. There were lots of people standing around wearing green outfits, holding hearty mugs of beer in hand. Some men were slumped over against the walls of pubs and bars. Sora cautiously approached one man who seemed not as drunk as the rest.

"'Scuse me, have you seen a guy named Jack Skellington?" he asked.

The man swayed slightly as he answered. "Nah, but I seen a fellow by the name of Jacob Shellyson. Er… I think that was his name. Tall fellow, could use a bit more sun…" The man pointed to a pub where there were cheers emanating. Sora shrugged and walked over to the door.

Inside the pub, there was a crowd of people circled around one table. Sora pushed his way to the front to see what was going on. Sitting at the table was Jack Skellington having a drinking contest with another patron. He had fifteen shot glasses in front of him and was working on his sixteenth. In between them was a pot of gold that they were presumably betting on.

"Cheershsshs!" Jack yelled out, holding his glass up high. The crowd went wild as he downed the whole shot in one gulp. His competitor, a very short man with flaming red hair and a pipe in his mouth, eyed Jack dangerously and picked up his own shot glass.

"C'mon Shamus!" one onlooker shouted. Shamus wobbled as he carefully brought the glass to his lips. Before he could drink it, however, he fell off his seat and passed out. The crowd roared with laughter and applause.

"Jack!" Sora shouted over the cheers.

"Ah, Shora… my wittle fwiend!" Jack exclaimed happily. "I haven't sheen you in… in like a million yearsh!" He attempted to stand up, but swayed and stumbled, falling back into his chair. "Whoa! Not trying that again! Oh look, ma shot glass ish filled!" He picked up his seventeenth shot. "To famimia… farimila… falimia… familiar fwiends!" Sora snatched the shot glass from Jack before he could drink the golden liquid.

"I think you've had enough," Sora said nervously. "Now come along, we've got to get you back to Halloween Town in time for the festival!"

"But I like it here…" Jack whined. Sora ignored his whining and the groans of the disappointed crowd as he hauled Jack to his feet. As they stumbled away, Jack made a grab for his prize pot of gold, but Sora pulled him away. Riku helped him get Jack outside the pub and up the street to where the forest with doors was located.

"Great, how are we gonna get him sobered up in time for the festival?" Sora groaned, struggling to keep Jack on his feet. It didn't help that Jack was at least a good two feet taller than Sora and Riku.

"Coffee?" Kairi suggested.

"Where are we going to get coffee from?" Riku asked.

"You know somethin'…" Jack slurred, tripping over his own feet. "You guys are da best. I mean it! You Donald with your… silver hair… and Goofy with your boobs. You guys are jus' great!" He started laughing. "Hey Goofy, can I-can I touch your boobs?"

"Most certainly NOT!" Kairi snapped, slapping away Jack's wandering hands and turning to Sora. "We gotta sober him up fast!"

"Jack, do you have any idea what you're supposed to be doing right now?" Sora asked desperately. "You're supposed to be managing the Halloween festival! You need to be in top shape for that! You'll let everyone down if you don't!" Jack made a fizzing noise as he suppressed a giggle.

They passed through the pumpkin-shaped door leading back to Halloween Town and walked through the graveyard to reach the town square.

"Mayor!" Riku called. "Mayor, we found Jack!" The Mayor burst out of the town hall and came rushing over to the group along with Sally.

"Thank goodness!" he cried. "Jack, where have you been? The festival's about to start!"

"What's wrong with him?" asked a concerned Sally. "He's walking funny. And he reeks of something awful!"

"I found the mos' wonderful place!" Jack replied, pushing Sora and Riku away so he could stand on his own. He promptly fell over and passed out.

"Oh no!" Kairi gasped, kneeling beside the unconscious drunk Jack.

"Wake him!" the Mayor yelled frantically. "Wake him! Quickly! The people won't arrive until he starts the festival with the traditional Halloween song!"

"C'mon, Jack!" Sora growled, shoving Jack roughly. But the skeleton wouldn't awake from his drunken slumber. "It's no use! We're going to have to do it without him."

"You can't!" the Mayor argued. "No one will accept you as the King of Halloween! I have an idea! Set Jack on fire! That should wake him!"

"No!" the group shouted at once.

"I think we can pull this off without him!" Sora insisted. "What song does he normally sing? How does it go?"

"Um, let's see here…" the Mayor said. "'This is Halloween, this is Halloween, pumpkins something or another'. Oh it's no use! It just isn't the same unless Jack is leading the procession!" Sora started pacing. He glanced up at the pot of unknown green substance.

"What's that green stuff there?"

"Oh that's just liquid from the toxic fountain. Said to have magical properties. We collect it and have a toast after Jack makes the announcement at beginning of the festival. But now it's all gonna go to waste since Jack won't wake up!" The Mayor started crying again. Sora took no notice to the antics of the Mayor and snatched a cup from the table in front of the giant pot. He scooped up some of the green liquid and brought it to Jack, pouring some in his mouth.

"Maybe if the drinks of St. Patrick Town make him drunk, the drinks of Halloween Town will sober him. Worth a shot, right?" A few seconds passed before Jack stirred.

"It's working!" Sally praised.

"Start singing!" Sora instructed. Sally was hesitant for a moment but finally opened her mouth and let the words of their town's song flow out.

"Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?" Sally sang beautifully. She nodded at the Mayor, encouraging him to join in.

"Come with us and you will see," he sang with Sally. Jack was rousing slightly.

"This, our town of Halloween!" sang Sora, Riku, and Kairi, picking up the melody from Sally and the Mayor. Jack squinted slightly, opening his eyes, looking around, and then he smirked. He leapt to his feet.

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween,  
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night,  
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene,  
Trick or treat till the neighbours gonna die of fright,  
It's our town, everybody scream,  
In this town of Halloween!"

Doors burst open as the townspeople and every ghoul, monster, and creature of the night came forth, joining in on the song. Sora and his friends smiled wide. The Mayor cheered, jumping up and down. Sally smiled quietly to herself. The song soon ended and the townspeople applauded happily.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so glad you could make it!" Jack announced, bowing before his people. All signs of his earlier intoxication were gone. "Let the festivities begin!" The town square was buzzing with activity now. If it weren't for the sinister nature of many of the events and games going on, Sora and his friends would have joined in. But they were on a mission and they still needed to complete it.

"Thank you so much, Sora!" Sally said, giving the teen brunette a hug. "We couldn't have done it without you!" Sora grinned sheepishly.

"It was nothing." Jack took a moment to break away from the group of people conversing with him. He grabbed Sora's hand and shook heartily.

"I am so sorry about the trouble I caused you!" he said. "Is there any way I could make it up to you?"

"Well… there is one thing you could do." Sora snapped his fingers to get the Mayor's attention. "Mayor, about that request of mine…" Sora started saying as he walked with Jack and the ecstatic Mayor. "Can I count on you, Jack, and your people helping our armies?"

"Tell me more about this threat of yours," said the Mayor, eating a batsicle. "And I'm sure we'll be able to work something out."

"Anything to help a dear friend," Jack agreed.

Sora grinned. "Glad to hear it."

0o0o0

A/N: So I thought I'd start things off fun with my two favourite KH worlds, Port Royal and Halloween Town. I hope you enjoyed the funny antics of the two Jacks. And I'd just like to say, I have never been more uncomfortable about writing the word 'tentacle' so many times. :P Coming up next, trouble in Wonderland!


	5. Chapter 5: Twisted Up Inside

Hourglass

**A/N:** Just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews and I'm happy to see that despite not writing about Sky too much, you've all seemed to pick up his 'mess-with-me-and-you're-dead' attitude. That's great! And now on with the story!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 5: Twisted Up Inside

Sora was filled with a sense of dread the moment he stepped foot on the new world. His companions felt it too, shivering. Looking around, Sora had to wonder if perhaps Kairi had accidentally opened a door to a level of hell. They were standing in a dank cave and the only sources of light were torches on the walls. There were some large purple mushrooms growing off to the side, but they were shriveled and pathetic-looking. Further down in the cave were little troll people mulling about in a despondent sort of way. This was not the familiar world he remembered. However, when they were greeted by a disembodied grinning set of teeth and eyes, Sora knew they were in the right place.

"Cheshire Cat?" Sora said. The floating grin and eyes seemed happy to be recognized and the rest of the cat's body materialized, but it was not a sight to be expected. Instead of the plump purple striped cat that Sora remembered, in his place was a skeletal mangy body of a cat that looked like he hadn't eating in several months. His appearance caused Sora and his friends to jump back a little.

"Well if it isn't Sora," the Cheshire Cat said, grinning all the while. "Come back to play with the not-so-young and carefree Alice? Well I'm afraid she has her mind on other things at the moment."

"What's happened here?" Sora asked quickly, getting over the shock of Cheshire Cat's appearance. "Where's Alice?"

"Alice is pursuing the White Rabbit down in the Wonderland Woods. The White Rabbit is guiding her to her survival. Wonderland always was and always will be an interweaving of the imagination of Alice. So long as her imagination is intact, Wonderland remains an active world."

"You mean Wonderland isn't real? This place is all in Alice's head?"

"Precisely. That is the power of a Princess of Heart. However, as of late, the terrible demise of her parents has left her, shall we say, unsettled. In her absence and her fragile state of mind, the Queen of Hearts has taken control of Wonderland. Your timing couldn't be more impeccable."

"Can you take us to Alice?"

"But of course. She's going to need all the help she can get to retrieve her missing heart."

"Missing heart?" Riku asked.

"On the stage that is Wonderland, we are all players in a story contained within Alice's mind. When Alice's mind shattered after her parents' death, her heart shattered as well and became blackened with sorrow, grief, and guilt. As a result, her heart spawned a Heartless in the form of the Queen of Hearts that could only survive within her mind of Wonderland. As long as that Heartless exists, Alice cannot heal."

"I don't understand," Kairi interrupted. "I thought Princesses of Heart were incapable of becoming Heartless. When I lost my heart, I became catatonic."

"Oh believe me, Alice is quite catatonic in the real world. She herself is not a Heartless nor will she ever become one. It's the shard of her heart that sustains Wonderland that has become corrupt. If the corruption is not rectified in a timely manner, Alice may be forever trapped in a catatonic state."

"How do we stop the Queen of Hearts?" Sora asked with determination.

"Follow the path before you. It will take you to the Wonderland Woods, but you must hurry. The White Rabbit is not one to be late for engagements and this one is important. Be cautious on your journey. Alice's imagination has a way of turning on you." The body of Cheshire Cat vanished, leaving his grinning teeth floating in its place. "Good luck." Then the teeth disappeared as well.

The ground beneath their feet began glowing faintly giving the effect of a path running through the cave.

"I guess we're supposed to follow the path…" Sora said softly, walking forward. The trio walked briskly through the caves, avoiding the little troll people along the way who cared not or gazed with joy at the three Keyblade-wielding teens. Occasionally, they would hear a rumbling noise emanating from further inside the cave. The farther along they traveled, the louder the noise became. It sounded like hammers banging against the rock wall. Sora figured this place was being used as a mining facility and the troll people were the slaves being forced to do all the mining.

Suddenly, there was an incredibly loud rumble right above their heads. Sora looked up just in time to see a large boulder coming down at him. He didn't have time to react. But miraculously, he was knocked off his feet and sent crashing to the floor by a heavier person. The boulder hit the ground beside him and smashed into pieces. He opened his eyes to see Riku hovering above him.

"You okay?" Riku asked softly. Sora couldn't help turning faintly red in the face, partially from embarrassment at needing to be rescued by his friend, and partially because of their proximity to each other. But he didn't understand how this was any different than the times they sparred or wrestled back at Destiny Islands.

The moment was interrupted by Kairi making an 'eep' noise. Sora and Riku looked up to see an axe imbedded in the rock wall next to Kairi. They quickly looked to the source and saw a giant playing card with a red heart on its front brandishing a sword.

"Don't move!" the red card shouted, running at them. Sora and Riku jumped to their feet and summoned their swords to fight back. The red card jabbed forward with his sword, intent on impaling Riku, but Riku deflected the sword and sliced through the card. The card fell apart in two pieces, motionless. A tiny speck of light retreated from his body, most likely rejoining Alice's heart.

"The Red Queen's soldiers…" Sora murmured. He heard angry voices coming from the cavern behind them. "Looks like they know we're here. Let's hurry."

The trio began jogging down the path with a greater sense of urgency to reach the end. But what they found at the end was a cul-de-sac. The glowing path ran straight into a wall and no further.

"Did we take a wrong turn?" asked Kairi.

"No, there's only one glowing path in this cave," Sora responded with a hint of annoyance, examining the rock wall carefully. He was looking for anything that might help them or point them in the right direction. The angry voices from before were gaining on them.

"We got company!" Riku yelled, readying his weapon. Half a dozen card guards rounded the corner and attacked, swiping with their swords. Riku and Kairi fought back, ripping holes into the giant cards and shredding them to pieces. A dozen more red cards appeared. "Sora, you better find something quick! We can't hold them off forever!" Sora nodded frantically and went back to scanning the wall for something, anything to explain why they were led there. He starting kicking and hitting the wall in frustration while his friends fought the red army behind him. He made a noise of aggravation.

"You're thinking with the mind of an adult," said a voice. Sora spun around looking for the source and spotted the floating grinning smirk of the Cheshire Cat. "Try thinking with the mind of a child. Or more accurately, the mind of a mouse child." And then the grin was gone again. Sora thought about it and looked down at the wall by his feet. There was a tiny crack. Then it clued in what they were supposed to do. He looked around for a container or vial of some kind with the miracle shrinking-potion needed to get through the hole, but there was nothing. He should have expected as much. Many things in Wonderland had changed.

"You kids looking for Alice?" asked a gruff voice. Sora turned to see an elderly troll man standing next to him all of a sudden. Sora jumped back.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked, trying to slow his quick-beating heart.

"That's not important," the troll answered. "Are you friends of Alice?" Sora nodded. "Good. I'm the Troll Elder. You're going to need this if you want to pursue Alice in the Woodlands." The Elder gave Sora a bottle. It looked almost empty. Sora snatched it up and examined its contents. "Sorry I can't do more. It was hard enough gathering the ingredients for Alice. You'll have to make due." The troll twirled on the spot and vanished into thin air. As Sora shook the contents of the bottle to gauge how much was left, he wondered vaguely if it was a good idea to be drinking something given to him by a complete stranger. But as the battle raged on around him, he figured 'What the heck?'

"You guys, drink this!" he shouted over the noise of the fighting. He took the tiniest of sips and passed it to Riku. Riku drank a small amount and tossed the rest to Kairi who finished it off. The potion began working immediately, shrinking the teens down to the size of an ant. The ground around them suddenly started shaking violently. Looking up, the trio saw the now colossal-sized red cards walking forward to step on them.

"Go!" Kairi screamed. They made a run for the tiny hole in the wall, which by their perspective was now a giant opening, making it through just as one guard stomped on the spot they were previously occupying. "Wow, that was close…" They stepped through the other side and beheld the Wonderland Woods.

Ordinary mushrooms and flowers towered over them like small skyscrapers. The trees were even more enormous, their trucks' circumferences roughly the size of several stadiums, and their height stretching far beyond their vision. Beneath their feet, the glowing path continued through the foliage, winding off towards the distance. The teens trotted along, taking in the views of the forest.

As they approached a steep hill, they could hear marching coming from the other side. Sora waved at his friends to get low and be quiet. They crept stealthily up the hill and hid in the tall grass, looking to the valley below to see what the noise was all about. There were hundreds of human-sized red ants in military coats marching in formation. Judging by their colouring, they were under the Red Queen's command. One ant was barking orders at the rest, presumably making him their general. It was unfortunate that the glowing path the trio was following happened to run straight through the red ants' army camp.

"So what's the plan?" Riku asked in a low voice. "Charge and attack? Or should we go around?"

"Let's not alert the entire army to our presence, shall we?" Sora replied. "We didn't come here to fight, we can to get Alice."

"Yeah, and now we have to fight to get her." Their planning session was derailed when Kairi made a muffled noise behind them. They turned around to see a red ant soldier grabbing Kairi, holding her in place with three arms and pointing a musket at them with a fourth.

"Surrender, enemies of the Queen of Hearts," the ant ordered. "Or I'll kill the girl." Riku and Sora slowly put their hands up. Kairi groaned and summoned her Keyblade, impaling the ant on it.

"And what makes you think I can be used as a bartering chip?" she snapped, unhappy about being used as leverage. "Idiot." She withdrew her sword from the soldier, letting him collapse dead on the ground. Another shard of Alice's heart retreated from his body. A trumpet horn went off in the valley and the ant army began marching in their direction.

"Let's go, we've overstayed our welcome," Riku hissed. Shots were fired from a distance and some of the blades of grass around them were struck down. "Move! They have guns!" No matter how strong the trio were, they were no match for distance weapons.

The teens sprinted off to the left, hoping to get around the army using the tall grass as a cover. They ran in zigzags hoping to throw off their enemy's aim. More blades of grass fell from being shot. The area of grass they were entering was getting taller and harder to navigate. It was becoming more apparent that the teens were going to lose each other in the glass, so Sora grabbed hold of his friends' hands and dragged them along with him. A close shot rang out and Riku wrenched his hand out of Sora's.

"Shit!" he cursed loudly, supporting his wounded arm. Sora slowed down to check on him. "I'm fine! I'm fine! It skimmed me! Move!" Riku pushed Sora forward with his good arm and they kept running. A screeching noise caused them to stop and cover their ears. Far above their heads, a giant shadow loomed, moving and circling.

"Oh god," Sora whispered, crouching low. "It's a bird…" The screeching sound rang out again and the teens recognized it this time as a birdcall. The shadowy flying animal was getting closer. "Do you think it'll try eating us?" The enormous bird swooped down from the sky, diving to the grass far behind the teens. Screams of terror could be heard from the Red Ants. Many shots were fired. The bird shrieked. The ground shook as the bird picked away at the ants.

"Let's not stick around to be the next course," Riku said, nudging his friends forward. They broke into a sprint again to put as much distance between the ants and bird as possible. The sounds of marching grew quieter the further they ran. Pretty soon it was silent. Sora finally stopped running and collapsed to the ground with his friends, breathing hard.

It took five minutes for them to catch their breath. Sora was so thirsty, but he didn't think to bring any supplies. This was supposed to be a routine mission – get in, get Alice, go. Beside him, Kairi had broken off a piece of grass and wrapped it around Riku's bullet wound. She was putting pressure on the spot and cast a healing spell.

"Guys, we should keep moving," Sora said at last.

"Just five more minutes," Riku whined, cradling his injured arm.

"C'mon, Riku. We don't have five minutes." Sora walked off. His companions took a deep breath and followed. Sora was hopelessly searching for the glowing path they were supposed to be following, but they had run so far off course that it was proving difficult. He tried jumping high to see over the grass, but the grass was too tall.

"Cheshire Cat!" he called out. "Cheshire Cat! We need your help!" He was startled when a pair of glowing eyes appeared right in front of him.

"Ask and ye shall receive," the eyes said with a disembodied grinning mouth. The Cheshire Cat's scrawny body appeared entirely. "Don't dawdle too long. Alice has moved on from the Woods. You'll have to catch her in the Looking Glass. It's neither here nor there. It's Beyond."

"How do we get there?" These riddles and nonsensical sentences were starting to get to Sora.

"Seek out Caterpillar. He knows the way. When in doubt, I find that taking a deep breath helps me find the path." The Cheshire Cat vanished before Sora could ask anymore questions.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" he shouted at the empty space in front of him. He thought on what the Cheshire Cat said. '_Take a deep breath?'_ Sora inhaled deeply and caught a whiff of something strange in the air, like strong incense. He sniffed again, turning slowly to see which direction the scent was coming from. He took a few steps towards the direction it was strongest. "Follow your nose, I guess…" He nodded at his two companions and they set off in search of the source of the aroma.

"Are we sure we can trust this cat?" Riku ask slowly as they walked along. "I mean, if what he says is true and Alice really has gone mad, then wouldn't it be safe to assume that _everyone_ in Wonderland can't be trusted?" Sora considered what Riku was saying. Thus far, they had been attacked twice by the Red Queen's soldiers while following the path the Cheshire Cat had laid out for them. What if Riku was right? What is the Cheshire Cat was intentionally leading them to danger?

"We don't have much of a choice," he finally replied uneasily. "The Cheshire Cat hasn't come right out and attacked us yet. At least the Red soldiers have been upfront about their hostility." Riku didn't say anything.

Soon, they arrived at a clearing on a hill. Sitting on a great toadstool was a huge grubby-looking caterpillar smoking an elaborate pipe containing unknown substance. The insect seemed very content and relaxed. The teens, on the other hand, were apprehensive. Sora stepped forward cautiously, worried that this was some kind of trap.

"Are you… the caterpillar that Cheshire Cat spoke of?" he asked slowly. The caterpillar took a long drag from his pipe.

"I am," he replied boldly, puffing out little smoky circles. "And you are…?"

"Friends of Alice," Sora replied, unwilling to give this creature his name just yet. "We're looking for the path to the Looking Glass. Do you know how we can get there?"

"To get there, you'll need to be your regular size, my tiny little friends," Caterpillar said after a drag and more smoky circles.

"How do we get big again?"

"There is a toadstool further up ahead you can nibble. Lucky for you that Alice already came through here and defeated the Centipede that was guarding it. From there, you will be able to see the main gate to the Looking Glass." Caterpillar inhaled his pipe deeply and blew a trail of smoke towards a path leading away from the clearing. "Good luck, friends of Alice."

The teens set off again towards the smoky path. It was a short walk from Caterpillar's area to the next clearing with another great toadstool growing. Sora broke off a piece for him and his friends. They all took a bite simultaneously. At once, they began growing bigger and bigger until the great toadstool was nothing more than a tiny mushroom beside their feet. Just as Caterpillar promised, the Looking Glass gates were visually in range.

"I don't know if I mentioned this yet," Riku said. "But this place is _messed up_!" Sora shrugged as if to say 'It's not my fault.' They began making their way to the castle gates. There were two red pawns standing on guard.

"Halt!" one pawn shrieked in a high voice. "By order of the Red Queen, no trespassers." Then he took a good look at Sora and started shaking. "Wait! You're that boy everyone's talking about! The one with the weapon! The powerful ally of the dreaded Alice!" The other pawn started shaking as well. "Nevertheless, we cannot let you through! We will fight to the death." Sora looked to his friends and shrugged.

"If you say so," he said, summoning his Keyblade. The sight of the weapon caused the pawns to jump with fright.

"Wait! All right! You may pass!" They dove out of the way, hiding their heads against the ground. Sora smirked and walked through the unguarded gates with his friends close behind. The teens were met with an amazing sight. The entire courtyard of the castle was covered in a black and white checker print. Even the sky was checkered. There were dozens of white and red chess pieces fighting each other all over the courtyard. The trio waste no time in joining the battle against the red pieces.

Sora knocked a red rook down and stabbed it. Another shard of Alice's heart rose up and disappeared to join its owner. Riku pushed a red bishop off a white pawn and sliced the red piece in half. Kairi ran her Keyblade through a red knight and blocked another's attack.

"You fight on the side of Alice?" a white bishop piece asked Sora. Ducking an attack, Sora made an affirmative noise. "Alice has been captured by the Mad Hatter! You must rescue her! She's Beyond the Looking Glass!" The bishop pointed to the castle behind them. "Make haste!" Sora nodded and ran off to collect his friends. Fighting the occasional red soldier along the way, they made it to the doors and burst in.

The castle was a complicated maze of hallways and corridors. At times it seemed like they were wandering in circles. Several times, they ran into beasts and mechanical monsters. Other times, they found deranged children wandering the halls aimlessly, completely oblivious to the teens. The children chattered to themselves, giggling at nothing and walking into walls. Kairi prodded them, attempting to communicate, but it became apparent they were beyond help. The teens continued venturing through the castle. Sora rounded a corner and was frozen to the spot at what he saw. His friends bumped into him and were about to question him, but they gaped at what he was staring at.

"Who is it, Hare?" asked a timid voice. "More humans?" The voice yawned. "Useless humans?"

"Yes, three of them!" said another voice excitedly. "I think they mean to free us!" Chained to the wall was a half rabbit, half robotic contraption that made the teens shiver with fright. On a slab table next to the mutilated rabbit was a mouse, his arms strapped in place. It looked as though both were in the middle of being dissected and put back together with machinery. Various bolts, springs, and metallic parts were poking out of their flesh.

"Please release us!" the Hare cried, trying to twist around. "The Hatter never showed up for his 6'o clock appointment and we've been deprived of our tea!"

"Yes, our tea," the Dormouse agreed with a yawn.

"They're crazy," Riku whispered, his eyes never leaving the poor excuses for science projects.

"D-Dormouse?" Sora said quietly, stepping forward. "Hare?"

"You know us?" Hare asked.

"Of course!" Sora replied, his voice quivering. "It's me, Sora! We met three years ago! You had us stay for tea!" He suddenly felt like crying. "My god, what has the Hatter done to you?" He didn't wait for an answer; he simply ran over and cut the chains that kept the Hare pinned to the wall. He then released the Dormouse from the table.

"Thank you, kind sir," Dormouse said, lopping awkwardly towards the exit with the Hare.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"In search of some tea…" A moment later, they were gone. Sora was motionless for a few seconds, trying to overcome the horror he just saw. He gave his head a good shake and tried his best to put it out of his mind.

"C'mon, guys!" he called, jogging down another hall. Riku and Kairi came out of their stupor and ran after him. In the back of Sora's mind, he feared that Alice had fallen victim to a similar fate as the Dormouse and the Hare. He silently prayed that was not the case.

They finally arrived to an upper level where they could hear a battle raging on beyond a set of heavy doors. Sora kicked the doors open and ran in. The battleground was what appeared to be a giant clockwork machine floating in an abyss. In the center of the contraption, the Mad Hatter was firing weapons at none other than Alice. Sora was about to intervene, but Alice, readying a croquet mallet in the shape of a blue flamingo, deflected each projectile back at the Hatter. She then produced a set of dice and threw them at him. The dice opened a glowing doorway and a flying creature swooped out, firing electricity at him. While that distracted him, Alice pulled out a staff with a blue crystallized formation on the top that seemed to be giving off clouds of vapor. She pointed the tip at him just as he was recovering and fired freezing icicles at him, sending him flying backwards. She shot a look at Sora.

"Well it's about time you showed up!" she snapped as she pulled out a deck of cards from her apron pocket. "Cheshire Cat told me you were coming hours ago!" She threw a few cards at the Hatter and the razor sharp cards embedded themselves in his chest and arms. The Hatter brushed them off, striking at Alice with his cane. Alice deflected it with her ice staff and pulled out a seemingly non-threatening box. She winded up the crank on its side and tossed it at him. A creepy melody played out and a little clown popped out the top, followed quickly by a huge explosion. Sora and his friends shielded their eyes from the brightness and looked back once the explosion died down. The Mad Hatter was standing motionless in the middle… sans his head. He slowly tipped over, dead, and a shard of Alice's heart floated to the surface, gliding over to Alice.

Sora was stunned to the spot. He never knew Alice could fight.

"Well, what are you staring at?" Alice growled at Sora as she approached the Hatter's body. She fished through his vest pocket and retrieved a pocket watch.

"I, uh…" Sora stuttered. "I didn't know…"

"That I could defend myself?" Alice huffed indignantly. "I'm not the defenseless little girl you knew before. I've been forced to adapt to this new world of Wonderland." She made her way to the doors that Sora and his friends had come in through. "Well, are you coming or not? Griffin is going to fly us to the Jabberwock's lair."

"The what?" Sora jogged lightly after Alice with his friends trailing behind.

"The Jabberwock! I need his eye to complete my staff so I may gain access to the Queen's castle. I must defeat her to restore Wonderland… and my sanity." She walked with a pace that suggested she knew her way well around the castle.

"You seem pretty sane to me."

"Would a sane girl envision the horrors that my imagination has created? Would a sane girl do this?" She displayed her scarred wrists to Sora. "I'm not as sane as you think." Sora paled and went silent. They walked on until they reached a room with an open cage and a griffin standing in the center.

"I'm pleased to see you are well," the griffin said as Alice approached. "Let us hurry. Once you have opened the doors to Queensland, I will rally our forces and launch an attack on the Red Queen's castle. It should give you enough of a distraction and some time to confront the Queen and defeat her." Alice nodded. She climbed on the back of the griffin and looked at Sora and his friends.

"Climb on, or be left behind," she said. "It's your choice." Sora snapped out of it and climbed on the griffin's back along with Riku and Kairi. The griffin, despite carrying four teenagers, lifted off with no difficulty and flew through the sky window, over the castle and across the fields. Along the way, Sora explained to Alice the situation involving Maleficent and the impending attack, to which Alice snapped back it was none of her concern.

"Understandably, I think I have bigger things to worry about at the moment," she had said. Sora bashfully said nothing in response.

They arrived in a valley with lava flows streaking their way across the rocky landscape. In the middle of a wide river of lava, there was a house sitting on a small island, completely out of place in the setting. Alice seemed startled to see it there.

"That's… my home," she whispered with dread in her voice. "Before the fires claimed it." She tugged on the griffin's back feathers. "Land there!" The griffin obliged and landed in front of the house. It looked abandoned. Alice walked slowly to the front door and placed her hand on the knob. She took a deep breath and opened the door, walking in. Sora, Riku, and Kairi quickly followed her. The inside of the house was hollowed out like one giant room. Standing in the middle was a great dragon-like beast that Sora could only assume was the Jabberwock that Alice had spoken of earlier.

"You've kept me waiting, Alice," the creature spoke in a low menacing voice. "You're habitually late, aren't you? Between your dim-witted daydreaming and your preen vanity, the hours just fly by. There's barely time for anything else." The Jabberwock crawled slowly around the room, his eyes never leaving Alice.

"Is that the best you've got?" Alice scoffed. "Second-rate insults? They don't hurt."

"Your family was expecting you to come to them, weren't they?" the Jabberwock continued, ignoring Alice's attempt to feign ignorance. "Perhaps they thought you might warn them of the danger. But they waited in vain and died for their trouble." Alice's eyes widened.

"W-we were all asleep…" she said, her voice shaking. "It was an accident! I…"

"You selfish, ill-begotten, ungrateful child!" the Jabberwock boomed. The teens jumped with fright. "You smelled the smoke! But you were in dreamland taking tea with your friends. You couldn't be bothered. Meanwhile your parents roasted in an inferno of incredible horror!"

"No!" Alice cried, holding her head in her hands. "Stop it!"

"Leave her alone!" Sora shouted, stepping in front of her and brandishing his Keyblade.

"Foolish boy, this is not your fight!" the Jabberwock roared. "Step aside or you'll be slain for nothing!" Riku and Kairi summoned their weapons as well. "You all wish to perish? Fine. Who am I to deny you?" The beast spewed fire from its mouth, but Alice jumped forward, using her Ice Wand to stop the flames. She glanced at the others, nodded, and proceeded to throw her playing cards at the Jabberwock. The monster cried out, thrashing about and leaping into the air, flying around the room with his expansive wingspan. The teens began running in different directions to avoid being struck by the flames being emitted from the beast. They used their distance attacks and spells to weaken the beast. After a minute and a bit, the griffin flew in from the torn roof, engaging the Jabberwock and clawing its eye out.

"Quickly, Alice!" the griffin cried while attacking. "The Jabberwock's eye!" Alice dove forward, catching the severed eyeball tossed to her by the griffin. She attached it to a dark golden staff and it flashed to life as if she had hit an 'on' switch. She pointed it at the Jabberwock and fired a powerful beam that went straight through the beast, killing it instantly. The Jabberwock's body collapsed on the floor with a resounding boom noise. The teens took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. A heart shard floated to Alice. From the carcass, another little sparkle of light expelled out and flew over to Sora. The brunette blinked as the light died down and revealed a key chain with a smaller golden eyeball attached.

"Another Keyblade?" he said thoughtfully. He grasped it and replaced his Oathkeeper key chain with this new one, the one he dubbed Jabberwocky. His Keyblade flashed to life and changed shape. The base was a bronze gold colour and the top had jagged points with an orange glowing sphere attached.

"We mustn't waste another moment!" Alice said as she made her way to the door. "Griffin, go gather the troops. Meet us at the Queen's castle gates." Griffin nodded and flew off through the roof. Alice, Sora, and the others left through the front door.

After navigating the treacherous lava flows, they arrived at a wall of solid stone with a heart-shape on the front. Alice raised her Jabberwock Eye Staff and sent a beam at the wall, splitting it down the middle and opening the gateway. Moments later, Griffin returned with over a hundred chess piece soldiers, saying it was all he could manage. He led them ahead to take on the card guards in the courtyard and the ramparts, leaving the path clear for Alice and the teens to get to the throne room.

The castle itself looked like it was made with living arteries and blood-pumping veins. With little difficulty and minor enemy encounters, Alice found herself standing in front of a large set of double doors leading to the throne room of the Queen of Hearts. She hesitated when she placed her hands on the door handle.

"Must I confront her…?" she whispered, unsure of herself. "Perhaps she could be persuaded to surrender. Her forces are being overwhelmed…"

"If there's anything I've learned," Riku said quietly, placing his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "True evil can rarely be persuaded to do the right thing." Alice nodded slowly, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, braced herself, and pushed the heavy doors open with all her might.

Sitting at a grand throne was a grotesque fiend with squid-like tentacles coming from her torso and a menacing mask for a face. It was the Queen of Hearts herself in all her horrendous glory. She leaned forward, taking an interest in her new guests, and raised her tentacle hand.

"Off with her head," she said smoothly, dropping her hand. The ground shook when her body rose up, revealing there was more to her than meets the eye. It almost appeared as though her body were attached to one large disgusting tentacle that was embedded in the ground. Alice, Sora, Riku, and Kairi brandished their weapons at the ready.

Alice opened with a powerful blast from her Jabberwock Eye Staff, sending the Queen reeling back in pain. A high pitch noise filled the air as the area around Riku began glowing. He looked confused for a moment, but suddenly he was lifted off the ground against his will and pulled to the Queen, who slashed him with her long claws, then threw him back against a wall. Sora cast a blizzard spell while Kairi rushed off to aid Riku. The Queen fired an energy beam at Sora, knocking him off his feet. Alice dove at the Queen, using her croquet mallet to strike the Queen while planting a jack-in-the-box bomb. She jumped out the way while the bomb exploded beneath the Queen. Riku was back on his feet after Kairi healed him and was launching a Dark Aura attack. He gave a nod to Sora and the two boys began laying into the Queen, hitting her left and right before she had a chance to attack back. Furious, she grabbed Sora with one hand, smacked Riku aside with another, and produced a sharpened scepter, ready to impale Sora on it.

"No!" Alice cried, holding up the pocket watch she got from the dead Mad Hatter. Suddenly, the Queen's movements ceased. Alice stared wide-eyed at the scene before her. Riku was floating in midair, in the middle of being thrown aside. Kairi was frozen in mid stride, attempting to help her friends. Even debris was hovering in the air. Alice realized the pocket watch she was holding somehow froze time. She used this chance to jump up to Sora and cut off the hand holding him in place. A moment later, time resumed. The Queen shrieked out in pain, flailing about. Her puppet-like body retreated into a crevasse behind the throne.

"After her!" Alice shouted, diving into the hole. The other three were right behind her. They dropped down into a dark abyss with floating rock platforms arranged in a circle. In the center of the floating rocks was none other than the Red Queen, her whole monstrous squid body on display and sporting Alice's face.

"Your pathetic attempts to regain your sanity have failed!" the Queen boomed. "If you destroy me, you destroy yourself! Go now and you _may_ survive! Stay and I will break you! You and your imprudent allies!" Her speech fell on deaf ears. Alice had her mind made up. She was not leaving until the Red Queen was dead.

Without a word of retaliation, she charged up her Jabberwock staff and fired multiple missile-like beams. The Queen stretched out her tentacle arms and swiped at the teens. They jumped out of the way, leaping to other floating platforms. Due to the abyss surrounding the evil creature, they were limited to distance attacks. Alice lobbed jack bombs like grenades. Sora alternated from blizzard, fire, and thunder attacks. The Queen countered by using an attack that sent projectiles that exploded on contact. Sora was blown back a bit, nearly losing his footing on the platform he was on. He stole a glance over his shoulder to see exactly how far down it was, but couldn't see a bottom to the chasm. He squeaked and scrambled away from the edge.

Riku used his Dark Aura. The Queen attempted to grab him with one of her tentacles, but when it came in range, Riku sliced it off with his Keyblade. Kairi used a light attack she had picked up from Sky that was similar to Riku's Dark Aura. They were wearing the Queen down bit by bit. Feeling their magic charged up, Sora and Riku placed their Keyblades next to each other, using their Limit technique and firing a blast at the Queen's head. To finish her off, Alice landed a perfect hit with her Jabberwock staff. The Queen's head exploded in a rain of blood followed quickly by the rest of the body. Sora and Kairi made noises of disgust coupled with cheers.

From the bloody mess, a large golden ball of light emerged and floated to Alice, disappearing within her. There was a blinding flash of light from her body, sending off a shockwave that left grass on the rocky surfaces of the platforms. The teens were transported back to the throne room, which looked significantly different with the fall of the Queen of Hearts. The walls no longer looked organic and alive. They actually looked like ordinary castle walls. The teens rushed to the windows and glimpsed at the new scenery surrounding the castle. The sky was no longer dim and overcast with gloomy clouds. The sun was shining and there were bird singing and flying. The former lava flows were replaced with clear streams and healthy green grass. The soldiers were no longer fighting. It was as though the red soldiers had lost their reason to fight.

The great doors to the throne room burst open. All of Alice's friends were waiting for her and they looked normal and well again. There was Griffin, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Hare, Dormouse, Caterpillar, even the Mad Hatter looking not-so-mad. Alice gasped in delight and ran to them, embracing as many as her little arms could wrap around.

"My friends!" she cried as she wept tears of joy. "It's so good to see you all! I thought this nightmare would never end!" Sora and his friends watched on with smiles on their faces.

"Thank you, Alice," the White Rabbit said, bowing. "Thank you for everything! And your friends." He bowed to Sora and the others. "None of this would have been possible without you. Thank you!"

"So what is to be done about the monarchy?" asked Caterpillar. "We need a ruler to replace the Queen of Hearts."

"Why not replace the Queen with a Princess of Heart?" the Cheshire Cat asked slyly, grinning mysteriously.

"Yes, Alice!" the White Rabbit agreed. "You could be our new queen! What say you?" Alice gazed at her friends. They stared back with great anticipation. She glanced at Sora and his friends. They watched her, waiting for her to make a choice, their expressions a little harder to read. She looked to her feet. Her expression turned to regret.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, turning to her Wonderland friends. "My duties to all the worlds as a whole come first. They need me. Another war is coming." She stepped back to join Sora. Although a little disappointed, her imaginary friends nodded, understanding her position.

"If that's what's best for everyone," the White Rabbit said. "Follow your heart." Alice smiled brightly.

"Please take care without me! I'll be back!" She nodded at her fellow Princess. Kairi proceeded to open a portal to take them back to Disney Castle.

"Goodbye!" the Wonderland creatures said, waving and smiling. Alice waved as she walked through the portal, leaving her childhood behind one last time.

A/N: Just a note about the length, I apologize for that, but I wanted to contain each world adventure to one chapter per. And it would have been a great deal longer without a lot of editing I did. So if the ending or any part seems too rushed, it's because I was trying to cut out unnecessary dialogue and transitional periods (a.k.a., getting from Point A to Point B; who cares what happened in between).

Also, if it wasn't apparent, this Wonderland was entirely based on American McGee's video game Alice. I did tweak a bit to make it fit with KH mythology and pacing reasons.


	6. Chapter 6: The Party

Hourglass

Pre-Note: I just noticed my chapters are getting steadily longer and longer. :S

**Hourglass**

Chapter 6: The Party

The moment Sora and his friends stepped foot on the world of Crystal Citadel, he was expecting something horrible to happen. He braced himself, wincing slightly, but nothing happened. He looked around. They were standing in a festival square outside a grand castle. Noblemen and women were bustling about their daily duties with not a care in the world. There were carts and stands set up selling goods such as vegetables, fabrics, and fine pottery. Sora was almost disappointed in the lack of action.

He approached a nearby nobleman saying, "Excuse me, do you know where we could find Cinderella?" The nobleman looked Sora up and down, a look of distain on his face.

"The Queen only grants an audience with peasants on festival days and royal processions," he said, sticking his nose up. "I very much doubt you'll be granted one." He briskly walked away, leaving a furious Sora.

"Peasant?!" he shouted, being held back by Riku. "Do you know who I am? If it weren't for _this_ 'peasant', you'd all be dead or Heartless!"

"Calm down, Sora!" Riku urged. "Come on, I'm sure we'll find another way to contact Cinderella." Sora took a deep breath and nodded, muttering words like 'Ungrateful' and 'I'll show him who's a peasant…'

They approached the castle gates leading to the castle's main entrance. Standing out front were two excessively decorated guards.

"Hello," Kairi said before Sora could jump in. "We're here to see Queen Cinderella. It's a matter of great urgency."

"Get in line," one guard said. "You and every commoner want a word with the Queen. You won't get it easily. Especially with the Ball only a few days away."

"The Ball?" Kairi repeated thoughtfully.

"It's the King and Queen's two-year anniversary in two days. Where have you been?" The guard gave Kairi a strange look.

"My apologies, I come from a distant land."

"Well things are rather busy around here this time of year, so if you'll just be on your way. You can try again next month." Kairi was about to protest when a large tarp-covered cart was wheeled to the gates. The cart-pusher showed a sheet of paper to the guard, who nodded and waved him in. Kairi exchanged a glance with her companions. Without a word, the trio walked away. Once they were back in the festival square, Sora nudged Kairi.

"So I'm guessing from that look you gave, you have a plan?" he said.

"Maybe we can sneak in as a cart-pusher or volunteers for the party," she replied, nodding happily. "We just have to look around for people who need help!"

"Or we could steal that cart over there," Riku suggested, pointing to an abandoned cart off to the side.

"Riku! That would be wrong!"

"And easier!" Sora said excitedly. "Let's do it!"

"We don't have the forms that guy showed to the guards! They wouldn't let us in anyway."

"Then we'll have to steal those too," Riku countered proudly.

"No!" Kairi groaned. "We're going to do this legally and right!"

"Your way is boring," Sora muttered.

Kairi ignored him and started walking around the pavilion looking for merchants who looked like they need help. She spied a 'Help Wanted' sign hung up in a shop window called Barton's Bakery. Kairi beamed and rushed over to the shop with the boys close behind. She read the fine print carefully, noting that it said the shop owner Mr. Barton was preparing a special order for the Anniversary Ball and he needed assistants. They walked in and smiled deeply when the heavenly scent of freshly baked goods overcame them. There were several large cakes sitting in the window display along with a platter of crumpets and bagels. There were a couple of shelves with more cakes, each one decorated for a specific holiday or special events, like birthdays and weddings. The main shop desk had a display case with more goodies, like pies, apple turnovers, and pastries.

"Mmm, your way is tastier," Sora decided, inhaling the aroma deeply. At the moment, there was no one at the front desk to take orders. The teens could faintly hear muttering and worried shouting coming from the back room. Kairi took a peek through the doorway and saw a plump man with a baker's hat running back and forth from a counter with hundreds of different ingredients to an oven with four things cooking on the top stove part and probably three things inside baking.

"Mr. Barton?" Kairi called.

"I'm terribly sorry, dear," Barton said as he cracked five eggs at once and started beating the mixture. "But I'm awfully busy. Could you wait a moment?" He poured in sugar and flour into his egg mixture.

"That's just it," Kairi said happily. "We're here to help you! We saw your Help Wanted sign out front!" The baker froze and dropped an empty metal bowl on his foot. He yelped and starting hopping around on one foot.

"Are you serious?" he said, still hopping. "That would be fantastic! Oh thank you so much, kids! And who says today's youth are ungrateful?" He shook the teens' hands vigorously. "What are your names?"

"I'm Kairi, this is Sora, and that's Riku."

"Splendid! So have any of you any experience cooking or baking?" They exchanged nervous looks, grinning in a false way. "No matter, no matter! Baking is a precise art! Just follow the instructions exactly and you'll have a beautiful work of tasty art!" He gave Sora the egg-sugar-flour mixture and a slip of paper with directions and ingredients. "Start with this!"

"Uh…" Sora glanced at the list and paled. "I can't make Angel Food Cake!"

"Sora!" Riku hissed, snatching the list. "_Of course we can_." He glanced at the list himself. "Oh wow. That's…that's complicated…"

"Just follow the instructions," Barton said cheerfully. "You'll do fine! Ms. Kairi, might I get your assistance flipping these crumpets?"

Several hours later and many burns, messes, mistakes, and dozens of bags of flour later, they were finished what Barton called the preliminary goods. The teens breathed a sigh of relief as they washed their cake-batter-stained hands.

Mr. Barton offered the spare room above the shop as lodging for the night in exchange for the teens' continued assistance for the following morning when he'd have to bring all his baked goods to the castle. The teens wasted no time in agreeing, seeing it as an opportunity to get into the castle to see Cinderella.

oOoOo

The next morning came and the trio helped him load all the baked goods onto the horse-drawn cart. They set off to the castle with Mr. Barton and Riku riding in the front and Sora and Kairi riding in the back to ensure none of their goodies were damaged during the ride over. With a quick flash of some official documents, Barton had them through the castle gates and on their way to the kitchen loading area. They unloaded their desserts into the cold cellars.

"Well, that's the last of them," Barton said as he patted the glass case with a cake in it. "But my job's not done yet. I still need to make some fresh desserts for tomorrow night's banquet. And I've been commissioned to decorate the anniversary cake." He pointed to a grand cake sitting on the main countertop. The teens paled slightly at the idea of having to bake more things. "At least this castle is more equipped with other bakers and chefs to help me. But if one of you are willing to help out, that'd be great! I just need one assistant to hand me the ingredients."

"Riku," Sora and Kairi shouted at once.

"Hey!" Riku grunted indignantly.

"Riku, m'boy! Thank you for volunteering!" Barton cried optimistically, clapping the silver-haired teen on the back.

"We'll be back," Sora said, winking at Riku. "We're just… looking around." Riku nodded knowingly. "Keep an eye on things here." Sora and Kairi left the kitchens.

The two wandered the halls a little, trying to get their bearings. The castle wasn't too hard to navigate. Every now and then, they ran into someone who worked in the castle, but no one ever questioned what two "commoners" were doing in the castle.

They eventually managed to find their way into the grand hall where dozens of large tables were being set up for the banquet. In the center of the ceiling was a magnificent chandelier with thousands of tiny icicle-like jewels hanging from it. Hanging over each table were smaller versions of the chandelier and on the tabletops were golden candlesticks sitting in bushels of red and green plant life. At the front of the great hall was a sumptuously decorated table with two thrones for the King and Queen and several chairs on either side, all facing the rest of the great hall. There were dozens of people setting up decorations and arranging more chairs. Standing off to the side waving a wand was a woman wearing a silver gown, humming to herself. The magic of her wand elevated a delicate sheet of sheer silk above the large windows acting as beautiful curtains.

"I think that's Cinderella's fairy godmother!" Sora said excitedly to Kairi. They ran up to the woman. "Fairy Godmother!" The woman turned around, revealing she was indeed the kind fairy who made all Cinderella's dreams come true.

"Sora, is that you, child?" she laughed, placing her hand over her heart. "My goodness, it's been ages! You've grown up so tall!" She began fussing with Sora's clothes. "And look at these! These must be the work of my sisters from Enchanted Castle, no doubt. Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sora said with a nod. "Is Cinderella around?"

"Well I'm afraid she's quite busy right now. You'll have to try again in a few days. We're preparing for the anniversary ball tomorrow afternoon, you know."

"I know. I was just hoping to have a quick word with her. There's another danger in the universe and we need her help in stopping it."

"Oh dear! Well I'll be sure to let her know you dropped by, but I'm afraid there isn't much else we can do until the banquet's over. Is this danger you speak of imminent?"

"Not exactly…" Sora scratched his head. "It's going to happen in a year, but that's not the point. We-"

"Oh darn!" The plump woman was checking her magical pocket watch with had five hands instead of three. "We're running behind schedule! I still haven't finished with the decorations here and I haven't even started Cinderella's dress yet!" Sora and Kairi exchanged meaningful looks before Sora sighed.

"We can help…" he moaned, not thrilled about volunteering his services again.

"Excellent! Sora, could you help me finish decorating the hall? And have your girlfriend go up to the royal wardrobe to help the mice sew the dress I designed."

"Mice?" Kairi said with a choke.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Sora hissed.

"Bibiti bobiti GO!" The fairy shooed Kairi away. "Up the stairs, down the hall, fifth door on the left!" She turned back to Sora. "Now then! You can still use Glide?" Sora nodded. "Good! Could you take this string of enchanted lights and string it across from corner to the chandelier in the middle and over to the next corner?"

oOoOo

Kairi cautiously opened the door to the royal wardrobe, looking around. She jumped when she saw something brown and furry scurry by her feet.

"H-hello?" she stammered. "Uh, the Fairy Godmother sent me up here to help with the Queen's dress."

"We could use a pair of human hands!" a tiny voice squeaked happily. A dozen brown and gray mice in little clothes assembled in front of Kairi. The redhead made of noise of fright but quickly got over the shock of seeing them. She may have been a tomboy, but mice were still not her strong suit.

"Okay, just… let me know what I can do to help." The mice nodded and ran up to a table with a bolt of fabric rolled out on it. There were shapes traced out in chalk on the fabric.

"You can start by cutting out the pieces!" one plump female mouse said. "The shears are a little too heavy for use." She explained the basics of what Kairi was expected to do, which mostly including heavy lifting (from the mice's perspectives) and passing things that were high up. Kairi nodded in understanding and walked over to the large table. The fabric laid out was a stunning pale blue silk. She was suddenly worried that if she didn't cut out the pieces precisely perfect, she'd ruin the fabric and thusly the royal dress. She took up the shears and placed them open at the edge of the fabric, her hands shaking slightly.

"This is simple," she murmured encouragingly to herself. "I can do this. It just cutting out shapes…" She made the first cut slowly, closing the scissors on the silk. She winced slightly, already feeling bad about have to cut the silk at all. Why couldn't the dress be draped from one solid piece, she asked herself. She cut further into the fabric and began snipping around the chalk line carefully.

"Beautiful work," a slim female mouse said. "You've got a natural knack!"

"Really?" Kairi glanced over at the mouse, smiling nervously.

"You could be a seamstress if you—whoops!"

"Whoops?" The slim mouse's eyes were wide open staring at Kairi's hands. Kairi was confused for a moment until she glanced at her own hands and gulped. She wasn't paying attention and had managed to cut right through three pieces instead of cutting around. "Whoops…"

oOoOo

"Riku, mind the tarts!" Barton called from stove. "Can you put the icing on the donuts? And make sure to turn over the pancakes in three minutes! Don't forget to time the croissants!" Riku was running all over the kitchen, pushing past the other chefs and assistants to complete his tasks. There were simply too many dessert dishes and not enough him. He had never cooked anything before in his life except for microwavable stuff and pasta in a box. Some of these desserts he was being asked to prepare were _way _beyond his abilities. He was amazed anything was turning out at all.

"Thank god for recipe instructions…" he muttered as he stirred a chocolate batter thoroughly.

"Where's that egg wash I asked for, Riku?" Barton called.

"Just a moment, Mr. Barton!" Riku rolled his eyes. "Sora, hurry up and find Cinderella…"

oOoOo

"I'm not sure… It looks crooked." Fairy Godmother put her hands on her hips as she scrutinized the drapery. "No, definitely crooked. You'll have to re-hang it." Sora groaned and hung his head in shame. He did a high jump and glided to where the tall curtains were hanging from, unloosing them from the golden curtain rods. "Raise them a little higher. A little higher! Higher! No, too high, they're crooked again." Sora resisted the urge to growl loudly. Instead, he resigned himself to cursing quietly under his breath. "There we go, perfect!" Fairy Godmother bustled off to do other tasks, leaving Sora to hang the rest of the large velvety curtains.

"Just shoot me now," he grumbled.

oOoOo

"Operating a spinning wheel and a loom is really simple, actually," said the slim female mouse known as Petrina. "You just wind the yarn of the silk through this part here," she pointed at a slot on a wooden contraption. "And then press your foot on this foot peddle here," she pointed to a foot peddle on the floor. "And the gears start turning, drawing the yarn around the spindle and wheel here," she pointed to a long pointed rod and a large wheel. "Then you need to set the treated yarn on this frame here from end to end," she pointed to a complicated looking wooden frame with metal bolts sticking out all around the outer frame. "You turn this crank to lift the warp yarn and weave the weft yarn through to the other side, then repeat for about half a metre."

Kairi stood dumbfounded, staring at all the wooden machines meant to create more fabric to replace the fabric she had snipped through accidentally. There was no way she was going to learn how to use those machines in a day.

"I'm doomed…" she squeaked.

oOoOo

Somehow or another, they trio managed to get through their assigned tasks by the evening. All the decorations in the great hall were hung with care, sparkling and dazzling even the decorators themselves. In the kitchens, the chefs finished preparing their decadent desserts, placing them delicately in the pantry and the cold cellars to keep them fresh. Up in the royal wardrobe, the new fabric had been spun, woven, and cut out precisely this time around. The mice had proceeded to sew the most elegant dress that Kairi had ever seen in her life. The trio could finally breath a sigh of relief and focus their attention on making contact with Cinderella to deliver their message of warning. But as usual, there was another hitch in their plan.

The Fairy Godmother explained to Sora that she still wouldn't be able to grant them an audience with the Queen until after the formalities of the Anniversary Ball were dealt with early the next evening. She gave them permission, however, to stay in the guest chambers for the night. None of the teens protested the opportunity to lay their weary heads on a soft pillow.

oOoOo

The next day was the big day. Fairy Godmother burst into the guest chambers with an air of excitement.

"Wake up, kids!" she called as she threw open the curtains and windows. In the nearby beds, three lumps resembling bundles of blankets and sheet began shifting and groaning in protest. "Up, up, up! You all slept in! I need to make your outfits in a flash! You didn't really expect to be let into a royal ball dressed like commoners, did you?" There were more groans of protest but for a different reason other than being woken up. Godmother huffed and used her wand to levitate the blankets off the teens.

"Cold!" Sora whined loudly, trying to bury himself under his pillows. Godmother rolled her eyes and levitated Sora's pillows away as well, giving him nothing to hide under. Slowly but surely, the three tired teens hauled themselves out of their beds and stood at attention before the Fairy Godmother.

"Good," she said approvingly. "Now stand still." She waved her wand and a stream of silver sparks left the tip causing the teen's clothes to start glowing. Sora and Riku's clothes transformed into handsome noblemen robes while Kairi was given a floor-length pink gown. Kairi made a disgusted face at the puffiness of her skirt. "Nicely done! Follow me. The ball begins in a few hours, but many guests like to arrive early as a courtesy to the royal family. You can mingle and dance while you wait for the Queen. And they're serving lunch in the great hall."

She led them down the hall and stairs to the great hall on the main level. On one side, there was a long white table with platters of foods. Riku spotted Mr. Barton among the cooks standing behind the table serving up the early guests and castle inhabitants. On the other side of the great hall, a small symphony orchestra was playing a soft melody.

"This is the life, eh?" Sora said happily, observing everything. "Great food, nice music, good clothes!"

"I thought you were more humble than that," Riku joked. They made their way over to the buffet table and began loading plates up with food. "Does it matter where we sit?"

"You're sitting at table 23," Godmother said, pointing to a table in the middle of the room before making her way elsewhere. There were already a few nobles sitting there enjoying their breakfast. The teens made their way over and sat down politely next to the older couple. Sora instantly recognized the nobleman as the one from a couple days prior who was so rude to him. Apparently judging by the look on the nobleman's face, he recognized Sora as well. Sora narrowed his eyes. The nobleman looked at Sora's appearance and clothing and seemed too embarrassed to say anything. He whispered something to his wife and excused himself. His wife watched him go and turned to the teens, smiling politely.

"How do you do?" she said, bowing her head in greeting. "My name is Countess Le Blanc. And you are?"

"Er… Lord Sora… the Lesser," Sora lied awkwardly. "And these are my companions, Sir Riku of… Lark Squire, and Lady Kairi of Greenshire." Riku and Kairi gave Sora a sharp look for coming up with such ridiculous names.

"I don't believe I've heard of the kingdoms of Lark Squire or Greenshire," the noble woman said, dabbing her mouth delicately with a napkin. Sora laughed nervously.

"Oh they're there, they're just far… very, very far."

"I see. Well then, welcome to the land of Crystal Citadel. Have you visited before?"

"No, this would be our first time. We have had dealings with Queen Cinderella in the past, though."

"How fascinating!" At that moment, her husband returned. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded. "Well it seems we're off to take a walk in the royal gardens. Enjoy your stay." Once the two were out of earshot range, Sora and his friends burst into fits of laughter.

"Lark Squire?" Riku chuckled. "That means 'Bird Attendant'. Is that really the best you could come up with?"

"I don't lie very well," Sora admitted.

"Oh really? Well I couldn't tell." The sarcasm in that statement was evident. "See, this is why we don't let you talk."

Despite Sora's lame attempt at lying, it was the story they stuck with for the remainder of the day, introducing themselves as such. They mingled and chatted with the other courtiers to pass the time. It wasn't until about 4PM that the royal family finally made an appearance. A herald stood at the front, calling the attention of the attendees.

"Now presenting His Majesty the King Charming and Her Majesty Queen Cinderella!" Everyone in attendance stood as the King and Queen entered the great hall, walking across the marked red carpet pathway to their thrones at the front. Before taking a seat, King Charming turned to address the crowd.

"Courtiers, noblemen, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being here today on our Second Anniversary. It has been two blissful years with my beautiful wife the Queen and I am happy to share it with my people." As he took a seat, the guests politely clapped and resumed their sitting position. According to tradition, the next part was the gift-giving ceremony where each guest would present the monarchs with a gift from their land. Sora panicked, as he had nothing to give. He searched his pockets and somehow found an odd shape in it. When he pulled it out, he found it to be a paopu fruit. Confused, he looked up and saw the Fairy Godmother smiling at him from across the room. She winked and nodded. Sora smiled as well.

When it came time for him to present his gift, he stood before the royal couple, bowed deeply, and held out Destiny Island's most popular fruit before them. Cinderella's eyes seemed light up when she saw him, clearly recognizing him from before, but she did not say anything.

"Now presenting Lord Sora the Lesser," announced the herald.

"My King and Queen, I present to you a gift from the land of Destiny," Sora said regally, still playing up the noblemen role. "It is a fruit known as a Paopu and it has magical properties. Legend says that when two people share this fruit, their destinies become intertwined." King Charming accepted the star-shaped fruit with a look of wonder on his face.

"It is certainly the most unique-looking fruit I have ever seen," he said. "Thank you, Lord Sora."

"And Sora," Cinderella interjected. "Do stay for the evening festivities. We have much to discuss." Sora nodded knowingly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Once the gift-giving ceremony was over, the chefs began serving dinner. Guests had a choice between Duo Au Duck or Rack of Lamb as their main courses. A total of six courses were presented to the guests. Sora was highly disappointed with the serving size of each, much too small for his ravenous appetite.

After dinner was dessert and dancing. The guests stood and the tables were magically cleared away by the Fairy Godmother, giving plenty of room for the guests to dance. The Royal couple was given the first dance. King Charming led his wife to the main floor as the music started up and they began dancing in slow circles. The guest politely applauded and joined in a few minutes later. Sora groaned at the activity, not counting himself as a very good dancer, and left to get some fresh air on the balcony attached to the great hall.

The sun had gone down about an hour ago, but the sky was still a hazy shade of luminescent blue and orange. Sora sighed, suddenly missing his home very much. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Riku joining him on the balcony.

"Hey," Riku said as he rested his arms on the balcony railing. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in there waiting for Cinderella?"

"Yeah…" Sora sighed again. "But I figure she might be a little busy for a while entertaining her guests. We picked a lousy day to come, didn't we?" Riku laughed.

"Yeah, we should have hit up the Atlantis mission first."

"But knowing our luck, we probably would have been attacked by some underwater sea creature."

"What, like a Kraken? Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt." The two boys laughed heartily at that. Sora hummed as he relaxed.

"Anyway, I would have felt awkward being the only person not dancing." Riku cocked an eyebrow.

"Then why not just dance like everyone else? I saw Kairi get picked up by some hotshot noblemen. Go sweep her off her feet!" Sora blushed at the suggestion. Why did everyone assume that just because Kairi was a girl and she was there, that meant he had to hook up with her?

"Anyway, I can't dance," he said, attempting to change the subject. Riku struggled not to laugh.

"You can't dance? Since when? Why wasn't I informed?" Sora gave Riku a slight shove.

"Have you _ever_ seen me dance?" Riku was about to bring up examples but realized he couldn't because there were no examples.

"Huh. I guess you're right." There was a significant pause as they gazed out across the sky again. Riku spoke up again. "Why don't I teach you?"

"Excuse me?" Sora coughed, choking on his own saliva. Riku seemed to blush slightly.

"Well, it's not like I'm an expert or anything, but it doesn't seem that hard." He waved his hands towards the ballroom where the other guests were dancing. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Sora observed the excited look on Riku's face and shrugged. What was the worse that could happen? Except tripping over his own feet and flying off the balcony edge. But Sora doubted that would happen. Sort of.

"Okay, so then what's the first step?" he asked. Riku brightened and stepped closer to the brunette.

"Well first…" He glanced into the great hall to check what the others were doing. "I guess you take my hand and put your other hand here." He guided Sora's left hand to his shoulder and placed Sora's right hand in his own.

"Wait, isn't this the girl's position?"

"Er… yeah…"

"Why do I have to be the girl? You put _your_ hand on _my_ shoulder!"

"I'm the taller one, so quit your bitching." Riku earned a well-deserved glare but no further protest. "Anyway, I put my hand here." He put his free right hand on Sora's waist. Sora blushed at this gesture. "Then we just start moving, I guess." They both took steps in the opposite direction, breaking apart their formation. "No, Sora, you have to let _me_ lead."

"See, this is why I wanted to be the guy. I'm a much better leader."

"You don't even know how to dance!"

"Neither do you, obviously!" They started laughing again. "Okay, let's just try this again." They got back into the positions and this time, when Riku took a step to his left, Sora followed. Riku took a step backwards and Sora awkwardly matched his movements. Just when they tried another side-step, Riku yelped when Sora stepped on his feet. "Sorry!" Sora winced.

"S'okay…" Riku groaned. "You were doing pretty good for a little bit." They tried again to dance. They managed to get more than four steps into a dance, but Sora's eyes were glued to his feet to ensure no further accidents. "Sora, you don't need to look at your feet the entire time." Riku gently tipped Sora's head back up. "Look at me." Sora looked up slowly at the boy before him. He never noticed it before, but Riku had really nice eyes. Sora felt his heart do a double beat for no clear reason. All he knew was that this wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, dancing with his best friend. He started to smile. That's when he started to notice that they were in perfect sync with each other.

"Hey, look at that," he said with a chuckle. "I guess we can dance after all." Riku laughed quietly as well.

"Yeah… I…" Riku was interrupted by the sounds of high-heeled footsteps.

"Sora, my godmother tells me you-" Queen Cinderella paused mid sentence when she saw the position that Sora and Riku were. "Oh I beg your pardon! I'll come back later!"

Just as she turned to leave, Riku and Sora split apart so quickly, it was like they were never next to each other in the first place, and Sora called out, "Cinderella, wait! We need to talk!" Cinderella paused and turned around, a shy little smile on her face.

"Are you sure? Because I didn't mean to interrupt the mood-"

"This is important," Sora insisted, fighting off the urge to blush. "There's a darkness coming. We need everyone to be prepared or we're all going to perish." Cinderella's playful smile disappeared.

"What kind of darkness?"

"Heartless." One little word shattered Cinderella's whole world completely. "They're coming, just under a year from now. I know this because I met someone who's already lived through it."

"How? How is that possible?"

"It's complicated. But he's from the future. And he says things are really bad. Even worse than the first Heartless invasion." Cinderella closed her eyes, thinking, remembering the first time her world was ravaged and destroyed by the Heartless while she was kidnapped. She opened her eyes once more.

"What can we do to prepare?"

oOoOo

A/N: I know the ending was a little abrupt, but there's really no need to go into detail what comes next. It should be obvious that every world that Sora travels to is going to lend their support. I mean, how can anyone resist Sora's puppy-dog look? :P


	7. Chapter 7: Lost and Found

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. I've been sick and lazy for the last two week.

**Hourglass**

Chapter 7: Lost and Found

Even after a couple months of transiting back and forth to Disney Castle, it still amazed Sora each time to see their steadily growing army. It amazed him even more now that the command center and training facilities were up and running. All the fighters, soldiers, and armies they had recruited thus far were receiving basic training at Disney Castle before they would return for a brief break on their home worlds.

Sora walked into the command center to report for another mission. The room was fairly large, the walls lined with computer equipment installed by Cid and the genius child Lewis Robinson from Tomorrowland, and there was a long oval table in the center with a dozen black chairs surrounding it. Currently the room was occupied by King Mickey, who looking over a list of worlds they had made contact with so far, and Sky, listing off the worlds they had yet to see.

"So that's Wonderland, Port Royal, Halloween Town," Mickey said, reading off his sheet. "Crystal Citadel, Tomorrowland, The Land of Dragons, Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, and Fantasia."

"Don't forget Agrabah and Neverland," Sky reminded. "We still need to hit Atlantis, Treasure Planet, and Camelot, among others." Sora cleared his throat awkwardly, reluctant to break up their discussion.

"Your Majesty, you asked to see me?" he said, giving a short bow. Mickey waved him over to see a computer monitor.

"Yes, I was just finishing up ratifying this mission report. You and Sky are going on a mission to Atlantis next." Sora stole a quick glance at the older version of himself and looked back at Mickey.

"Sire, we're not getting back-up?" It wasn't that Sky made Sora uncomfortable, it was just that being around Sky tended to be rather… morbid.

"Sky tells me the people of Atlantis are wary of outsiders. The less people we send in, the better. I'm sending Sky because he's met the people before in his time period, so he's already got some familiarity with their culture. And I'm sending you, Sora, because you're a people-person. You have a way of making even the most paranoid of people trust you." Sora found himself staring at Sky, his expression somewhat blank. Sky stared back a little moodily. Sora didn't bother protesting the issue. It was only one mission without his friends. One mission alone with his anti-social depressing war-traumatized older self. No problem.

oOoOo

Sora and Sky arrived on the other side of the Light realm, stepping foot on Atlantis soil. Sora gaped a little at what he saw. They were standing on a cliff looking out across a lake with an island city floating in the center. But what made him gasp was the fact that everything he was looking at was in a cave deep underground. The lost city of Atlantis had indeed submerged below the ocean, but it never came back up.

"Are you sure anyone's still alive down here?" he asked, still taking in the view. "Look at that city! It's falling apart and covered over with moss!"

"I'm positive someone lives here," Sky grunted.

"But how could a society survive without the sun? Or food, for that matter?"

"They're sustained by an energy source deep within the catacombs of their city. I've never seen it myself, but I heard it was beau-" Sky was cut off when he felt something sharp prod him in the back. Sora looked over at his companion and saw a humanoid figure with a large mask wielding a spear and pointing it at Sky's back.

"Hey!" Sora shouted, summoning his Oblivion Keyblade. But before he could react, a dozen more spear-wielding figures appeared, brandishing their weapons in a threatening manner.

"Put the Keyblade down," Sky said calmly, holding his hands above his head.

"No way!" Sora protested. "They'll cut us up!"

"Just do it, Sora. They're going to attack you if you don't surrender. Put the Keyblade down and show them you're not their enemy." Sora hesitated a moment but relinquished his Keyblade, laying it on the grass beside his feet and putting his hands up. The figures began shouting at Sky and Sora in a strangely familiar language.

"Terra-habito!" one yelled, jabbing his spear dangerously close to Sora's face. "Terra-habito! Periculosus!"

"That sounds… Latin…" Sora murmured.

"Non hostilis," Sky called to the figures around him. "Nos es non hostes hostium."

"You can speak to them?" Sora said incredulously. "What are they saying to us?"

"They think we're land-dwellers," Sky explained in a hushed voice. "I told them we're not the enemy."

"Quidnam es vos?" said a strong and distinctly female voice. The leader of the mask-wearing people stepped forward, taking her mask off and revealing a pretty tan woman with white hair. "Vos es non terra-habito? Qua es vos ex?"

"Nos es non ex is terra," Sky said. "Nos es viator ex a distans terra. Meus nomen est Sora. Ille est Sora quoque." In a quiet voice, he said to Sora, "She asked us who we are and where we're from. I told them we're from a distant land."

"Vos loqui nostri lingua," the woman said.

"Oui," Sky said, switching from Latin to French. "Je parle plusieurs de langues."

"La langue des anciens!" the woman gasped. "Notre ancêtre. Tu les connaîs?" [1]

"I knew them," Sky answered. "They were my ancestors as well." There were several amused and surprised sounds among the crowd. The woman looked impressed and indicated the warriors to lower their weapons.

"My apologies for the rude welcoming," she said. "My name is Kida. Welcome to the city of Atlantis."

"You speak English?" Sora couldn't help but squeak. "All this time? Why'd you attack us for?"

"We've been under siege by land-dwellers for the last couple of days," Kida explained, waving them towards a pathway leading to a bridge to the island city. "We can't be too careful when strangers show up unannounced. We assume all outsiders to be enemies."

"So how do you know we can be trusted?"

"Only a friend of the Atlanteans would be able to speak our language perfectly." Sora nodded as everything started making sense again.

"So you're under attack? Who are these land-dwellers you speak of?"

"They call themselves 'Americans'. They bring weapons and destruction in their wake, looking for anything of worth from our city." The group crossed over the bridge. "We've been defending against their attacks, but I fear their weaponry is far too advanced. We won't stand much longer." As they entered the great city through a gateway, Sky noted the inscription written on the archway.

"Atlantis, civitas ille deus invidia," Sky read aloud. "'The city that the gods envied.'"

"Is that what it says?" Kida asked, somewhat surprised that Sky could read the inscription.

"You can't read it?" Sky cocked an eyebrow. Kida huffed and walked ahead.

"Some say that it was our pride and hubris that doomed our great city," she explained. "Others say that the gods grew jealous of our city and sunk it to the bottom of the ocean to be forgotten forever. Either way, our knowledge of ancient writings and technology has long since left us. We now scavenge on the edges of our city for food and fresh water, struggling to survive without our old splendour."

"Why don't you and your people leave the city?" Sora asked. "Go back to the surface." A sad look overcame Kida's face.

"Because our king won't let us. He says it's too dangerous on the surface." The sadness was gone and Kida continued leading her guests through the city to a great palace. "I'm taking you to meet my father, the great king." They walked into a throne room where an elderly man was lying in bed, clearly dying of old age. "Patris, ego ducere hospes."

"Dimitter ille alienus," the aging king ordered. "Non alienus permittere!" He broke into a fit of coughing.

"Patris, illes posse auxilio esse nos," Kida insisted.

"Her father is telling her to send us away," Sky explained to Sora, who had an obviously confused look on his face. "She's trying to convince him otherwise."

"Nostri populus es emori!" Kida said. "Illes posse auxilio esse nos! Ille legere antiquus lingua!"

"She says that her people are dying and that I can help because I can read their language."

"Id est periculosus!" Kida's father roared. "Dimitter ille alienus! Extemplo!" Kida was taken aback and went silent.

"Come," she said quietly to Sky and Sora. "You must leave immediately." She ushered them out of the throne room.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked once they were clear of the palace.

"As I said, we're cautious of outsiders," Kida explained. "My father wishes to keep our people untainted by outside influences."

"This is a lost cause," Sora whispered discreetly to Sky. "The king will never allow his army to be used by outsiders."

"Give it time," Sky said quietly.

"Procer Kida," an Atlantean soldier called, running up to the group with a small number of warriors trailing behind him. "Nos capio alius alienus!"

"Alius?" Kida said, surprised.

"They found another stranger," Sky said to Sora. The warriors shoved forward a scrawny young man with large glasses, pushing him to the ground beneath Kida's feet. Kida rushed forward, placing a concealed dagger against his throat.

"Mora!" he cried out, shaking slightly with fear, fumbling with his poor pronunciation of the language. "Desino! Desinere! Desistere! Just stop, please!" [2]

"He speaks our language as well as yours," Kida said, observing him with a fair amount of skepticism. "Do you know him, Sora?"

"I'm afraid not," Sky said before Sora could pipe in. Kida gave the bespectacled man a look of distain.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Milo Thatch!" the young man replied, still shaking. "I'm-I'm from the surface."

"That much is clear from your attire and your speech. Why are you here?" Milo precariously retrieved something from his vest pocket, causing the Atlantean soldiers to draw their weapons. Kida raised her arm sharply to call them off and snatched the item that Milo had pulled out. It was a leather-covered notebook filled with notes about Atlantis.

"I came here to study your city," Milo admitted quietly. "The people who sponsored me, those soldiers… I had no idea they would attack you. I'm so sorry." Kida looked at the inscriptions carefully, noting that some of the language written in the book was the same written on her city's walls.

"You can read this?" she said, tossing the book back at Milo.

"Of course, it's rudimentary Latin. I majored in Latin in university!" He went quiet when he figured the word 'university' had no meaning to Kida.

"Then you will be useful." She dismissed the guards and dragged Milo to his feet.

"Uh… what did you have in mind?" Before she could explain herself, an explosion shook the whole city.

"Terra-habito!" shouted several guards, rushing off towards the source of the explosion.

"The land-dwellers are attacking!" Kida hissed. "There is no time. Follow me!" She motioned to Sora and Sky to follow as she dragged Milo by his wrist. She led them to an underground ruined temple. The floor was uneven and slanted, half submerged underwater. "There is an inscription written on a wall beyond this chamber," she explained. "I'm almost positive it has something to do with an ancient technology that could help us. I want you to read it to me."

"What, in the water?" Milo squeaked.

"I hope you can hold your breath, land-dweller." Kida began walking across the room to the submerged portion. Milo gulped and removed his shoes and shirt before following the Atlantean princess. Sora and Sky followed suit removing their shirts and shoes. One of the first things Sora noticed was that Sky's chest and back were badly scarred.

"What happened?" he found himself asking before thinking. Sky looked up as if noticing for the first time that he had scars at all.

"The war happened," he replied simply. "Believe it or not, most of these scars-" He pointed to the burns and scars on his chest close to his heart. "Were inflicted by the 'good guys'." He made a sharp noise resembling a laugh. "Those 'Righteous Hearts', as they called themselves."

"The ones from Radiant Garden? Why would they do that to you?" Sora's voice shook a little. He couldn't help but shudder, but he reminded himself internally that this was not his body that was damaged, this was someone else's. Sky seemed unwilling to say anything and was saved the trouble of explaining his scars when another rumble reminded them they were under attack.

"Let's go. We're falling behind." He brushed by Sora and waded into the water until it was deep enough to swim in. Sora blinked and followed after him without a word.

Under the water, there was a hallway leading to another chamber further ahead. The four visitors swam into the chamber and examined the far wall where some writing was scrawled across the wall. There were drawings and diagrams in a circular design. In the center of the circle was indentation. Milo and Sky examined the writing carefully before indicating to the others to swim to the surface. There was a pocket of air in the corner of the ceiling that they surfaced in.

"The markings detail the use of some kind of energy source," Milo said. He spotted a glowing crystal attached to Kida's necklace and pointed to it. "Something like that!"

"All my people have these," Kida said, holding it up. "We use them to heal wounds, heat water, light dark passages, that sort of thing."

"Sounds like an energy source to me," Sky huffed. "The inscription mentioned that all your crystals draw their power from an even greater power source located somewhere in the heart of the city."

"If such a thing exists, why have I never seen it before?" Kida said with a sniff. "I know my city inside and out." Sky thought about it for a moment and then an idea struck him.

"Follow me." He dove beneath the water with the others following close. Back at the wall, he pointed to the indentation he had saw earlier and then pointed to Kida's necklace. Her face seemed to light up and she placed the crystal in the indentation. The wall lit up neon as the writings on it started to glow and a rectangle shape appeared. The section of wall in the rectangle disappeared, revealing a hidden passage beyond. The four swam eagerly down the hallway to an even bigger room. They broke the surface and stared in wonder at what was inside.

The room was actually a large cavern. In the center of the room was a softly glowing set of stones as large as fully-grown humans, floating in midair. They were revolving slowly around a larger crystal that wasn't shining at all.

"I take it that's their energy source," said Sora. They crawled onto one of the many small islands floating in the water.

"It looks… dead…" Milo noted, observing the appearance of the center crystal.

"If this is indeed my people's life force," Kida whispered. "Then that would explain why my people are falling ill and our crystal necklaces are failing."

"It needs to be recharged," Sky said. He stepped forward until he was standing beneath the giant crystal. Before he could do anything, his attention was drawn away by a low, impressed whistle. Standing near the front of the cave's entrance was a broad-chest older man with a military buzz cut hairstyle, observing his surroundings carefully.

"That's a mighty fine-lookin' battery you got there," he said. Milo seemed to shrink at the sight of him. "It'll make a lovely addition to the artifacts we've been confiscating already. So if you'll just step aside…"

"That's Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke…" Milo whispered to Kida.

"Ah Milo!" Rourke called, plastering a fake smile on his face. "I was wondering where you got off to! Defected to the enemy's side, have we?" Milo took a step back.

"He's the one who's been leading those troops into your city." Kida frowned deeply and brandished her dagger.

"Then he is the one who must die," she hissed. She leapt from her spot with the intent of plunging the dagger into Rourke's heart, but Rouke easily grabbed her by the wrist and threw her back. Before she could attack again, he pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the group.

"I wouldn't try that again, if I were you," he warned, cocking the hammer of the pistol. "You four, step aside and don't move a muscle or I'll send you to meet your maker." He pulled a hand radio from his pocket. "This is Commander Rourke, come in Sinclair. Do you copy?" There was a brief moment of static.

"I copy, sir. Orders?" The voice was a strong feminine one. Rourke opened his mouth to reply but became dissatisfied with the way Sky was approaching him.

"You, I said stay where you are," he demanded. Sky ignored his request. Instead, he summoned his Way To Dawn Keyblade. Rourke jumped back a little. Sky took another step forward.

"You're not part of the plan…" he whispered menacingly at the commander. Rourke's mouth seemed to open and close like a fish, trying to summon forth some words. Finally getting over the shock of seeing a sword materialize out of nowhere, he frowned.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to bring a knife to a gun fight?" he sneered.

Sora wanted to tell Sky to back down. Keyblades were useless against projectile weaponry like guns. The bullets moved too fast to be stopped by even the most powerful of Aero spells. And there was no way to get within striking range quick enough before the enemy pulled the trigger. But the confident look on Sky's face told Sora that perhaps not all was what it seemed.

Rourke grew tired of Sky's disobedience and without any warning, he fired his pistol at the young man.

"_Protega_!" A blue magic barrier erupted around Sky and his companions. The bullet of the pistol dissolved upon impact. Rourke starred wide-eyed at the shield. Even Sora was amazed at the strength of this new kind of barrier.

"Fancy trick…" Rourke muttered.

"Thanks," Sky said with a smirk. "Want to see another? _Bind_!" A green streak shot forth from the Keyblade at Rourke, enveloping his entire body. He cried out in shock and fell over, rigid as a board.

"What did you do?" Sora exclaimed, rushing forward.

"I cast a binding spell on him. He's temporarily paralysed from the neck down." Sky retrieved Rourke's hand radio and placed it next to the commander's face. "Call your troops off, sir." Rourke growled and struggled to move, but didn't budge an inch.

"Go to hell!" he spat. Sky sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, as quick as lightning, he placed the sharpened edge of Way to Dawn against Rourke's throat, stopping within mere millimetres of Rourke's skin.

"Call them off or I'll kill you." It was a very simple threat, not laced with sarcasm or amusement. There was no room for misinterpretation or signs of a bluff. Sora could only gape as he watched a mirror image of himself threaten to end the life of a human being without a hint of remorse or morality. And clearly Rourke saw it as well. He reluctantly nodded. Sky flipped on the switch to the radio.

"Stand down," Rourke said in a disgruntled voice. "We're done here."

"Sir?" came the confused response.

"Sinclair, I said stand down!" Sky slowly removed the Keyblade from Rourke's general area and straightened up.

"Good." He began walking away. "Kida, Sora, take him to the surface. See that he and his troops leave peacefully. I'll be up in a minute." He was approaching the dead crystal formation as Kida and Sora heaved Rourke's heavy body up and towards the cavern entrance while Milo timidly followed.

Once they were gone, Sky set about restoring the energy source. He let out a deep breath and his body began to glow. A golden light surrounded him and began leaving him for the crystal. The crystal suddenly seemed to come alive, shimmering brightly. The stones revolving around it sped up until they were a radiant blur of motion around the crystal. The whole set levitated higher and higher, breaking through the ceiling of rock to the outside.

Meanwhile, Kida, Milo, Sora and Rourke made it back to solid ground in the city streets. They felt a tremendous tremor in the ground as the crystal formation arose from the underground catacombs to the air high above the city, shining light on all sides. A few seconds later, Sky was jogging towards them.

"We've got a few minutes to get rid of those outsiders before the defense barrier comes online!" he said. Kida didn't understand most of it, but she was more than happy to send the enemy packing.

On the outskirts of the city, Rourke's troops were assembled and waiting for their commander. Sinclair, a tall blonde woman, looked very displeased with this turn of events. She knew something was up. And she didn't want to leave without a fight. Approaching them from the city gates was Sky and Kida carrying an angry Rouke, while Milo and Sora tagged along. Sinclair's eyes widened.

"Sir?" she called. Sky and Kida ungracefully dropped Rourke at Sinclair's feet.

"Take him and go," Sky ordered. There was no room for dispute. A few soldiers came forward to pick up their commanding officer, placing him in the nearest jeep.

"Not so fast!" Sinclair shouted. "Just what the hell happened in there?"

"Just do as he says, Sinclair!" Rourke called from the jeep. "That's an order!" Sinclair looked torn between getting some answers and following orders. At last, her military side took hold and she walked away towards the jeep. The rest of the platoon clambered on the remaining jeeps, starting their engines.

"This is your last chance to go with them," Sky said to Milo. Milo chuckled nervously.

"I somehow doubt I'd be very welcome with that bunch," he replied. "Besides, this is the opportunity of a lifetime! Studying an ancient people in the heart of a lost city! What could be greater? On the surface, no one ever took me seriously. But down here, I can help these people relearn everything they've forgotten." Sky nodded. The four jeeps revved their engines and they drove away across the bridge at top speeds.

As they drove through the maze of tunnels that got them there, the binding spell on Rourke wore off. He sat up, looking out the back end of the jeep, glaring at the failure that was Atlantis.

"Sir?" Sinclair said from the driver's seat. "Sir, just what happened in there?"

"That man…" Rourke clenched his teeth. "That demon…" He composed himself. "Sinclair, remember those gas pockets we passed by on the way here?" He was formulating a revenge plan in his head.

"Yes sir, the ones that were too dangerous to drill through. Something about molten rock…" Rourke grinned maniacally.

"Fire a rocket back at them when we reach the rendezvous site."

"With pleasure, sir." Rourke could almost hear the smirk in Sinclair's voice.

oOoOo

Back in the city, Sky and the others were making their way back to the palace. The crystal formation was floating above the palace, seemingly charging up for some great task.

"What have you done to the energy source?" Kida asked curiously. "How did it regaining its strength?"

"I gave it a part of my own life force," Sky explained. "It just needed a little kick start." Kida was in awe at Sky's selflessness. She bowed her head politely.

"I thank you, Sora, for your help. This may well restore my people to our former glamour. And my father will be pleased with the enemy's retreat. Perhaps he will realize that not all outsiders are bad." Before she could continue, a low rumbling met her sharp ear. There was something approaching. The air seemed to get warmer as hot air was blown from the cave entrance by the city bridge. All heads turned towards the source.

The tunnel that the land-dwellers had used to get there was glowing red. Suddenly, lava was pouring out, burning the city bridge within seconds. Sky looked up at the crystal formation. It still wasn't done charging up the defense barrier.

"Sora, you're with me!" Sky shouted, running towards the lava flow. Sora only hesitated a moment before running after Sky. "We have to hold off the lava until the shield comes online." They reached the edge of the city where the land met water. A few metres away, the lava was pouring into the water and cooling, but the parts that were becoming hard rock were providing the rest of the lava with a bridge that would eventually reach Atlantis soil and torch everything in sight.

"_Deep freeze_!" Sky and Sora chanted at once, firing a powerful cold blast at the approaching molten rock. The lava froze instantly, but just as quick, the flows behind it melted the icy shield. The pressure of the gases caused the frozen parts to shatter like glass. Sky and Sora shielded their eyes from the minor explosion.

"We probably shouldn't try that again," Sora said. The heat of the lava was proving to be too much. He took a few steps back, covering his mouth and nose to prevent from inhaling the ash and smoke.

"We have to! It's the only way to hold it back!" Sky aimed his Keyblade once more at the lava flow. "Drive into your Final Form." There was a flash of light as Sky transformed into his Final Form. Sora nodded and did the same. The heat of the lava no longer bothered him as he floated above the ground, his Keyblades Oblivion and Oathkeeper levitating next to him.

"_Deep freeze_!" They cast another icy attack even more powerful than the first and maintained it longer. Sora was breathing heavily. It was harder to drive into his Final Form when Donald and Goofy weren't accompanying him. He feared the form wouldn't last long.

The wall of frozen rock began fizzing as the heat and pressure of the lava behind it pushed out. Sora winced, knowing that within a few seconds, the ice wall would shatter, shooting shrapnel and debris at them, and it wasn't going to be fun.

"_Protega_!" Sky shouted. A blue shield appeared around the fissure in the rock wall, containing the explosive material. Lava erupted from the cracks, obliterating the frozen wall but staying within the shield. The shield flickered under the pressure. "I'd say we have about five seconds to live." Sora gasped.

"No, we could-" He was cut off when the last of his drive energy left him, dropping him back on the solid and extremely hot ground. "Shit!" It was first time he had ever sworn. And at this rate, he thought to himself, probably the last time as well.

The Protega shield failed, releasing the bubble of lava outwards. Sky and Sora jumped back to avoid getting struck, but they were still too close. Sora could see the fibers of clothes and shoes melting under the heat. His skin darkened and began to burn and peel wherever it was too close to the fires. He took a few more steps back from the advancing lava, collapsing backwards, wiping the sweat from his brow. Just when it seemed they were out of luck, there was a high-pitch noise from the city. The crystal formation was done charging and was emitting a bright piercing light.

"Get inside!" Sky yelled, dragging Sora to his feet. "Hurry or we'll get trapped outside the city!" The crystal gave off beams that struck several statues lined around the city at specific points. The statues came to life and stood tall and proud. They clapped their hands once and released an energy barrier that surrounded the whole city, incasing it in a protective shield on all sides. Sky and Sora collapsed on the cool grass within the shield, thankful to be away from the blistering heat of the lava flows. Sora watched in amazement as the lava continued pouring out from the cave entrance, burying the whole city and covering over the unwavering shield. The molten rock hardened under the cooling air, creating a sort of dome above the heads of the Atlanteans. A few minutes later, the hardened rock crumbled and fell away, sliding off the dome barrier and into the water surrounding the island. The threat had passed.

"Sora!" called a voice. Both Sky and Sora looked up to see Kida jogging towards them. "That was amazing! You did it…" She appeared to be in a state of shock and excitement. "Is there anyway we can repay you?" Sky smirked.

"I could think of one way…"

oOoOo

Sometime later, after Kida had gotten her father to agree to assist in the war efforts, as Sora and Sky were making their way back to Disney Castle, Sora still couldn't shake the image of how merciless Sky had acted towards Rourke. Had the future really changed Sora that much?

"About what happened back there…" he murmured. "With Commander Rourke… Would you have really killed him?" It was scary to image he may have turned into a cold murdered. Sky was silent.

"No, I suppose not…" he replied finally. "How would we have gotten him to agree to leave with his troops if he were dead?" That still didn't satisfy Sora.

"It's just that… the way you threatened him. It's like you had no problem ending his life." He hesitated a moment before asking what was on his mind. "Have you killed before? I mean, another human being?" A few quiet seconds stretched out longer than Sora was comfortable with.

"Yes." Sora's heartbeat increased.

"Who?"

"I don't know who!" Sky snapped as he abruptly stopped walking. "It's a war, Sora! You don't exactly get to learn the names of every person you slaughter!" Sora shrank back. Never before had he felt like he had nothing in common with this look-a-like. They had the same name and same appearance, but they were nothing alike. Sky sighed, calming down. "I'm not exactly happy about it. But we didn't have a choice. It was kill or be killed." He scratched the back of his neck carefully. "A couple years into the war, Maleficent developed some kind of mind-control power. She used our own people against us. It took months to figure out a way to break her spell, but meanwhile, we had to fight and kill. That's when the Bind spell was created. We could bind the humans that were being used as puppets and keep them locked up until a cure was found." Another tidbit of just how bad the future was.

"What happened to the old fashion 'tie-them-up' routine?" Sora muttered. Sky huffed and resumed walking.

"Easier said than done. They were vicious under that mind control."

Then Sora remembered the scars that Sky had. "And those scars? Where'd those come from?" Sky didn't reply. "Come on, if you can't even confide in yourself, then who can you?" Sky stopped walking suddenly again, causing the younger brunet to bump into him.

"I thought I'd spare you the gruesome details," he said as he tapped his hip. Sora frowned.

"Oh come on! You're exaggerating! I should know! You're doing that nervous twitch thing I do when I'm lying. See?" He pointed to Sky's tapping fingers. Sky glanced at his hands and folded his arms. He sighed and began walking again.

"It's just a little difficult to talk about, okay?" He went quiet again as he tried to compose his thoughts. "It happened about a year and a half ago by my perspective. Disney Castle was holding a crummy little Christmas festival to boost the spirits of the soldiers. During the activities, someone jumped me and knocked me out. No one noticed because the festival was still going on. I woke up in some dank cell somewhere." Sky paused to swallow the forming lump in his throat. "Some scientists led by Dr. Finklestein explained they kidnapped me as part of the Righteous Hearts' plans to better understand the human heart and use the research they came up with to defeat the Heartless. They said I was special because I'm the only person to ever have been a Heartless and returned to human form. They… experimented on me for weeks, trying to find out all they could." Sky pointed slowly to his chest over his heart. "They removed my heart and did tests on it, just to see how it ticked." Sora shuddered to imagine what that was like. He remembered all too well his experience as a Heartless and it was not one he wanted to relive ever again. "The only thing that kept me sane was Roxas. Somehow during the tests and experiments, they were able to draw him out, but in an ethereal sort of form." Sky squinted slightly. "It's all a bit of a blur now. But I remember clearly Roxas telling me not to give up, that help was on the way. And sure enough, eventually Kairi and a platoon of troops busted in and rescued me." He sighed. "It took me months to recover more mentally than physically." That explained a few things, Sora thought.

"So what happened to Roxas then?"

"Don't know. I haven't been quite whole since that whole incident. Kairi suspected he was separated from me permanently after the experiments. Or maybe he used the last of his strength to sustain me the whole time. I'll never know…"

"And what about Riku? Surely he would have noticed you were missing immediately." Sky gave Sora a sharp look, but said nothing on the topic.

"We're here." He opened a portal back to Disney Castle.

oOoOo

King Mickey was waiting for the two Soras in his study when they returned. Sora and Sky made a their polite greetings.

"So how'd it go?" Mickey asked. He observed their worn appearances with worry. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Sky said, trying to get to the real point faster. "Atlantis has agreed to assist us." King Mickey nodded in approval and turned to a large monitor where he inputted the new data for Atlantis. "An ambassador will be with us in a few days time. I've agreed to be the liaison between our worlds because of my extensive knowledge on their culture."

"Good. But first, I have a new assignment I'd like to brief you on regarding special training." He passed a manila envelop to Sky. "I want you to pass along any techniques and abilities you've learned over the years to Sora, Riku, and Kairi so they're on par with you."

"Special training with Sky?" Sora said slowly, not liking the idea of spending an extended amount of time with his future self. "Great…"

oOoOo

A/N: I hope the conclusion in Atlantis wasn't too abrupt. And I hope my Latin wasn't too atrocious. Most of it stems from online dictionaries. At least the French shouldn't be too bad. I had a friend proofread that. Some translation notes:

_[1]Vos loqui nostri lingua. – You speak our language._

_Oui. __Je parle plusieurs de langues. – Yes. I speak many languages._

_La langue des anciens!__Notre ancêtre. Tu les connaîs? – The language of the ancients! Our ancestors. You knew them?_

[2] Also, when Milo says "Desino! Desinere! Desistere!", those are all Latin forms of the word 'Stop'. I figured it would make more sense for Milo to struggle with the different tenses of Latin verbs since he only has a bare minimum understanding of the language of the Atlanteans.


	8. Chapter 8: Training

**A/N: **For all you art-lovers out there, I made a sort of poster for this story under my DeviantArt account. You can see it as well as other pieces I've done by clicking my profile here and clicking my homepage button. Enjoy that!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 8: Training and Truths

"Meditation is key," Sky said boldly as he approached the trio of teens. "Control of your breathing, your heart rate, and your light will enable you to reach higher limits of abilities." They were standing on a seclude cliff top in Radiant Garden. Sky had explained that they needed as few distractions as possible. The ground was sparsely decorated with grass and weeds. The sky above was hazy with clouds that threatened to rain down on the group. The expressions on the teens' faces seemed to match fittingly. It was 6AM. They were very quiet. A little too quiet.

Sky noticed Sora leaning on Riku. He frowned at this.

"Sora…" he said quietly. Sora stared at him with unseeing eyes. Riku gave him a subtle nudge. Sky muttered obscenities under his breath. "Sora, wake up!" Sora blinked and fell over.

"I'm up, I'm up!" he said frantically, struggling to get to his feet. Sky groaned. He had learned when he was about 12-years-old how to sleep with his eyes open and used it frequently during math and science classes in high school. But that was many years ago by Sky's perspective. He had almost forgotten he even had that ability.

"Didn't mean to interrupt your beauty sleep," he snapped, giving his younger counterpart a stern look. "But now that I have your _rapt_ attention, perhaps you'll give us a demonstration of a _Fire_ spell." Sora blinked a few times, trying to regain his senses. Then Sky's request registered in his brain.

"A _Fire _spell?" he repeated. Then he grinned. In a flash of light, Sora had summoned his Keyblade. He pointed it to the sky, shouting, "_Fire!_" A ball of flames shot out the end and disappeared behind the clouds overhead. "How was that?"

"Wrong." Sora's mouth hung open a little.

"What do you mean 'Wrong'?" he demanded. Sky placed his hand gently on the hilt of Sora's Keyblade, lowering the weapon.

"Put the Keyblade away and try again." Sky released his hold on the weapon. Sora gaped at him. What Sky was asking of him was impossible. One could not perform a magic spell without the aid of an instrument, such as a staff or sword.

"I can't." Sky cocked an eyebrow.

"Those are two words I don't want to hear together ever again." He walked a few steps away, turning his back on the group. Sora was about to say something when suddenly there was a bright red flash. Sky was holding his arms up at his side. There were flames dancing around his form, swirling and churning, like angry spirits reaching for his hands. The teens backed away. The flames played higher until there was a formation above Sky's head. A great firebird emerged and shot into the air. It circled twice before disappearing behind the clouds. The others could only stare in awe.

"That was incredible…" Riku whispered. Sky turned back to the group.

"That was a _Fire_ spell more powerful than even _Firaga_. It's called _Firana_."

"_Firana_?" Sora repeated, still in shock.

"An effective spell for maximum damage to groups of enemies. It's one of the spells I'm going to teach you. And we're going to learn it _without_ the use of a Keyblade."

"Oh come on!" Sora complained.

"There will be times when you'll be disarmed and have little time to call your weapon back to you. You do _not_ want to be caught off guard!" Sky sat down on the grass cross-legged style. "Now sit. We're going to do some meditating." The teens reluctantly sat upon the dew-soaked grass in the same manner as Sky. "Take a nice deep breath, in through the nose, and exhale out the mouth. Kairi, this should come naturally to you. In, out, in, out – _Riku I saw that gesture!_" Riku put his hands behind his back while Sora silently laughed himself into an early grave. "Be serious, please."

"It's just that you said-" Riku started to explain.

"I know what I said! I don't seem to recall you being so immature in my time." Sky regained his composure. "Keep your breathing steady." He talked them through a similar method as he had done with Kairi when he taught her how to access the corridors of light. It was a bit of a struggle with Sora and Riku partly because they weren't pure-hearted like Kairi and mostly because they had both been touched by darkness in their past. Then there was the fact that they were goofing around.

"If you two don't stop fucking around, I swear to god, I'll-"

"Sorry!" Riku said in between fits of laughter. "It's all the hidden innuendos you're using! Like 'pull it out gently'."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "And 'point it outwards'."

"I'm talking about your light!" Sky growled. Sora and Riku dissolved into fits of giggles again. Sky rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long day.

oOoOo

"_Protega_ is the most effective shielding spell we developed in my time," Sky said. He demonstrated by producing a transparent blue bubble around himself. "Riku, I want you to fire some Dark Aura at me." Riku cocked any eyebrow but didn't argue. He took a deep breath and fired a steady stream of Dark Aura at Sky. The dark magic impacted on the bubble and dispersed.

"Impressive," Riku noted. Sky waved his hand slightly and the bubble disappeared.

"It blocks just about anything, but it doesn't mean it's foolproof. There are some things you should know about the spell. It requires a high level of concentration." He seemed to put emphasis on the last word while glaring at Sora and Riku. "And it requires a lot of mana. Once you run out, the shield will fail and you'll likely be killed by whatever it was you were defending against. So don't rely on it all the time." Sky pointed his finger at Sora. A Protega shield appeared around him, making the younger brunette jump. "You can create these shield wherever you desire as long as you concentrate. You can expand the shields, shrink them, use them to hold back things or reinforce things, as I showed Sora on Atlantis. The bigger the shield, the more you have to focus and the faster your mana depletes. For example…" Sky made the Protega barrier around Sora larger to encompass all three teens and himself. He held his hands up to keep the shield up. "Wherever I point my hands is where the shield will be its strongest. But it means the rest of the shield will be easier to take down. And eventually, the whole shield will fail because I'm using more mana." He dropped his hands and the Protega magic faded. "Any questions?" Sora raised his hand timidly.

"When we were on Atlantis, you put a shield around the cracks where the lava was pouring in, but it disappeared after like five seconds. Why?"

"I was using more mana to make a higher-concentrated shield. The mana ran out. Plus, lava is an intense force to be reckoned with. The stronger the opposing force, the faster they're going to be able to break through your defences."

"So what's the first step?" Riku asked. Sky explained he'd be working with each teen individually for the first little while. Getting Kairi to produce a Protega shield was no problem at all. When it came time to show Riku, Sky had to guide him through controlling the darkness as well as the light in his heart.

"This might be a little tricky for you," Sky warned. "You don't have a Nobody at the centre of your heart to help you. All you have is…"

"Ansem," Riku finished coldly. Sky nodded forlornly.

"You've confronted him before in Castle Oblivion. You can do it again." Riku shook his head.

"It turned me into a monster last time I embraced the darkness. I literally _became_ the very thing I hated. I won't do it again."

"You don't have to. You just need to tap into a little bit of the darkness. You don't need a lot to pull off a Dark Protega spell." Riku was still reluctant. "The Riku in my time was able to do it. You can do it too! I'll be right here to guide you. You don't have to worry about falling into darkness again." A few more moments of hesitation went by before Riku agreed. Sora and Kairi watched on pensively.

Riku took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing inward. He flinched when he felt the familiar presence of the Heartless who stole his life, the stench of darkness clouding his heart, and the cold yet velvety smooth voice taunting him, calling him weak and pathetic. He clutched his chest where his heart was, feeling a slight stinging.

"It's okay, I'm here." Riku felt a hand cover his own, easing the pain and forcing back the darkness. He took a breath and felt the twilight in his heart emerge, forming into the protective spell around him and the person before him. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Sora, but instead saw for the first time a tenderness he had never seen before on Sky's face. It was oddly soothing.

Sora watched with a hint of annoyance and… jealousy? _That should be me holding his hand_. For some reason, it bothered him to see another person, especially one who looked so similar to him, holding Riku's hand and sharing a moment so special. _I'm his best friend. I should be helping him through this._ He tried telling himself it wasn't important who taught Riku how to control his darkness, so long as he did. Surely this was a trivial and childish thing to get upset about. But maybe it was just that look that Riku was giving Sky…

"You're next, brat, so get your heart focused," Sky announced, turning to his younger self. Sora frowned at the nickname. At the moment, he very much hated Sky.

oOoOo

"We've been training for hours!" Sora complained loudly. It was late afternoon and Sora had yet to master the Protega spell. He simply wasn't concentrating hard enough. Every time he reached into his heart for the necessary light, he'd start thinking back to the moment between Sky and Riku, then his temper would flare and he'd lose the light. He getting so bad at it that he even heard Roxas in the centre of his heart say, 'Dude, you suck.' Or perhaps Sora simply imagined it. "I'm starving! When's dinner?" Sky rolled his eyes.

"Now, I guess. I hope you brought something." Sora's expression went blank.

"You never said to bring anything like food."

"You never thought to ask." Sora shrugged.

"I could always go back to Castle Luminous, get something there." There was a hollow laugh emanating from Sky.

"Oh, no. Training isn't over. You don't leave until you master the Protega spell." Sora frowned.

"Whatever!" He felt his temper getting stronger. He didn't deal well with things on an empty stomach. And it didn't help that Sky was the centre of his frustration at the moment. "I'm going! Try and stop me, doppelganger!" He started to leave. Riku and Kairi anxiously watched on without a word. Sky's false humour disappeared, replaced with a scowl, as he watched Sora walk away. The wind around him picked up.

"Sora, look out!" Kairi cried. Sora looked over his shoulder in time to see a fiery bird swooping at him. He let out a strangled cry as he dropped flat to avoid being hit. Not too far away, the red flames around Sky were dimming.

"What the heck was that?!" Sora demanded. Sky didn't reply. He charged up another Firana spell. Sora's eyes widened. He managed to summon Oathkeeper to his side in time to deflect the next firebird and cast Aeroga to protect himself. The intensity of the heat was proving too strong. Aeroga wasn't strong enough to keep him safe.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Riku shouted. He and Kairi summoned their own Keyblades.

"_Bind!_" Sky cast without a glance to the others. Riku and Kairi went rigid and collapsed. Sora gasped.

"I knew it!" he shouted. "I knew you weren't who you said you were!" Sky didn't speak. A cold wind swirled around him as he charged up a Blizzana spell. Sora could only dodge the attacks, not block. He struggled to his feet and cast Thundaga on Sky. The older brunette easily deflected the bolt aside, changing its course back at Sora. Sora was tossed backwards from the blast. Riku and Kairi struggled to regain control of their bodies.

Lying on his back, breathing heavily, Sora pointed his Keyblade at Sky. Sky waved his hand and the Keyblade vanished, reappearing in his own hands. Sora could only gape.

"Despite what you may think," Sky said. "I _am_ you, only my heart's a lot stronger than yours, so I have control of your Keyblades." The Oathkeeper vanished in a flash of light. He walked towards Sora, his hand raised about a mere foot from Sora's face as his palm grew red.

Sora clinched his eyes. The only sound he could hear was the pounding of his heart. The sound was deafening. And then, there was no sound at all, just the light in his heart cowering in fear. _But this isn't how it should end_, he thought. This is not how he should perish. The light flourished.

_This isn't the end._

"P-Protega!" A clear blue barrier burst into existence around Sora, sheltering him from fiery destruction. He stared in awe as the flames licked the shield before finally dying out. When the smoke and ash cleared, he saw Sky on the other side of the barrier, grinning. Sora grew confused by his smile, and then realization flooded his mind. "You knew what would happen."

"I knew the only way to get you to make use of your new light was to put you in a situation where you thought you were actually going to die."

"You bastard…"

"You're welcome." Sky waved his hands at Riku and Kairi and the Binding spell was lifted. He shook his head and walked away from the group.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sora demanded as he got to his feet.

"Training's done for today. Go eat. I have other responsibilities to attend to." And with that, Sky disappeared into the forest. The trio stared at his former spot in a jumble of emotions.

oOoOo

"His methods are insane!"

"He could have killed Sora!"

"I do _not_ want to continue training with him if he's going to be like this!" King Mickey wore a sympathetic smile on his face as he held his hands up slightly, listening to the complaints of the teen boys before him. It had only been a few days and Sky's continued use of hostile training exercises were starting to get to Riku and Sora.

"The man is clearly psychotic!"

"He must think he's still fighting a losing war!"

"The war must've left him a few screws loose!"

"Boy, boys, calm down!" King Mickey finally interjected. "I've read over his training reports and I happen to agree with his methods." Riku and Sora stared wide-eyed at the small mouse king.

"You can't be serious…" they murmured.

"Thus far, he's gotten some fine results. All three of you are now capable of creating Doors to Light as well as highly advance white magic. You can't tell me he's not improving your magic-use."

"By almost killing me?" Sora yelled. "What good am I to this army dead?"

"I don't believe he'd actually kill his younger self."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I don't think you know _what_ he's capable of. None of us do!" Mickey stared silently at Sora. Sora pursed his lips nervously under the King's strong scrutiny.

"I can't make you do anything you don't want to, but I am _asking_ you to stick with it. In a few months time, you'll wonder how you ever fought a battle without his techniques."

"How do you know for sure?"

"He's been training just about _every _new recruit that's come through here in the last 3 months. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I've been with the outcomes." Sora groaned. With the King's blessing, it was likely that Riku would fall in line and Sora would stand alone against Sky. "Are we done here?" Sora nodded unhappily. "Then I guess you fellas have some more training to do." Sora nodded again and opened a Door back to Radiant Garden.

oOoOo

Kairi pushed through some foliage and bushes deep in the forest, looking for someone in particular. It had been about two weeks into their training and although they were learning a lot from Sky, their interaction with the time traveller was still stiff and cold. Training lasted well into the evening when the teens were too exhausted and hungry to carry on, and began again early the next morning. They slept in local inns at night while Sky disappeared to do whatever it was he did off world. Kairi was sure this was one night he didn't have anywhere else he needed to be, but after the training had concluded for the day, he set off into the forest to make camp instead of following the others back to the inn.

Kairi smiled when she found the person she was looking for, sitting next to a roaring fire pit.

"Hey there, Mr. Anti-social," she greeted warmly. Sky regarded her with a blank stare and went back to gazing at the flickering flames. "What are you doing camping way out here? Why don't you join us?" Sky scoffed slightly.

"For a simple reason. I make you guys uncomfortable," he answered. Kairi winced.

"That's not true…" she said. "You just spooked us with your training techniques."

"I made you guys uncomfortable long before that."

"Well we're just not used to seeing such a… different Sora. Maybe if you didn't curse so much…"

"Fuck that noise."

"And if you cheered up a bit, I'm sure the others would warm to you."

"Did you?" Kairi shifted awkwardly. Sky cocked an eyebrow. "See? My very presence unnerves you."

"I admit, it _is_ unnerving to see an older version of a friend I've known for years, but it's not like you're giving us anything to go by. You're always so distant and hostile."

"Gee, sorry about that. Could be that _I'm_ unnerved about _being here_." Sky sighed and stretched out, attempting to find a comfy spot on the grass. "Ever the peace-maker, aren't you? You know, in my time, you weren't so different than me. We've been fighting a war we can't win, so naturally it makes one bitter."

"I guess I was like that before I died?" Sky's head snapped in Kairi's direction.

"I never sa-"

"You didn't have to. I could tell the moment you laid eyes on us when you first got here." Kairi's face was serious. "I didn't want to ask then because I didn't want to upset Sora. He was already shaken up by the news of Maleficent." The shocked look on Sky's face gradually wore off. "So, am I dead in your time?" He looked away back at the roaring fire. Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"Yes." The answer did little to stun Kairi.

"How?" Another bout of silence overcame the two. Kairi groaned quietly, brushing back her hair roughly. "I can handle it. Please tell me. It may save my life in the future." Sky shrugged, finally looking at Kairi's face.

"It wasn't a heroic death, I warn you."

"I still want to hear it."

"Full of gullibility and poor decisions…"

"Sora…" Kairi rarely called him by his real name, let alone displayed impatience and irritation in her voice.

"Okay, okay… It happened about a year ago by my perspective. You were called to Snow White's world along with all the remaining Princesses."

"Remaining?"

"Three out of seven were dead by that time. Alice lost her mind in Wonderland and commit suicide before the war began. Aurora and all her people were wiped out by a dark plague two years in. Jasmine was kidnapped and beheaded by religious extremists under the orders of the Righteous Hearts." Kairi covered her mouth in shock. "Hey, you wanted to know! Fucking tragedy!" Kairi nodded impatiently, urging Sky to continue. "Anyway, shortly after you left for Snow White's world, we lost contact with all our other bases. It didn't take long to realise why. We couldn't access the Corridors of Light without a living Princess. As soon as we could, we sent a gummi ship through enemy-infested Dark Corridors to Snow White's world and found the Princesses, dead in her villa, apparently poisoned. We were never 100% sure what happened exactly. Based on what we found, we figured Maleficent had an operative on Snow White's world for years, trying to take her out, but she managed to escape assassination attempts by pure dumb luck. Finally, this operative captured Snow White, got information out of her, mainly that our main source of transportation was the Corridors of Light, then killed her and impersonated her, luring the rest of you to the planet. As for the poison, you were all quite capable warriors, so a full-out confrontation would not have been wise on the enemy's part. It's likely they poisoned your drinks or food." Both went quiet.

"That's it, huh?"

"That's it."

"That sucks."

"It did." Sky closed his eyes. "You were my last link to Destiny Islands, my home." Kairi stared at Sky. There was another question burning in her mind concerning the fate of Destiny Island and all its inhabitants, but she would save it for another day.

"Come back to the inn with me. What you need right now is friends." She took Sky's hand gingerly and stood. He didn't attempt to move. "We're your family now." Sky looked at her. He went back to staring at the fire. Kairi feared her gentle words were falling on deaf ears.

"Don't worry about me," Sky finally said. "I'll be fine. Just go." Kairi chewed on her bottom lip, unsure if it was a good idea to simply leave Sky out in the forest by himself after making him bring up bad memories. "Kairi. I'm fine. Go." The Princess nodded sadly and turned to leave.

oOoOo

"_Firana_ is one of the more complicated black magicks." Sky rolled up his sleeves. "Fire, in general, is the most dangerous and unpredictable of elements and controlling it can be difficult." Sky and his pupils were standing in the training grounds in Twilight Town. Vivi had agreed to let them borrow his space. "This requires _strict_ concentration. Riku, Sora, if you two don't fucking smarten up, I'll torch you myself." The two boys in question quickly adopted looks of innocence. "The fire element is basically raw mana and light. There is a delicate balance between controlling that magic and letting it control itself."

As per usual with most of their lessons, Sky worked with Kairi first because she picked up on magic-usage quicker than the boys. While they did that, Sora began practising the spell by himself. He was determined to figure it out before Sky reached him. For once, he wanted to go one lesson without Sky berating him for being younger and stupider just because he couldn't master spells as quickly as the others.

"This really is harder than it looks," Riku said with a laugh. He was snapping his fingers and getting brief flickers of flames. Sora wasn't quite getting as positive results. "Try doing it like this." Riku stepped behind Sora, placing one hand on Sora's chest where his heart was, and one hand splaying Sora's palm out flat. "Focus your light here." Sora blushed a little at the contact. He tried directing his energy into producing a flame, but he just couldn't with Riku standing right behind him like that.

"Kinda nervous…" Sora murmured. Riku leaned in a little closer, tapping Sora chest with one finger.

"You have way more light than me. This should come naturally. Just relax." Easier said than done, Sora thought. He wanted Riku to back away, but at the same time, he was relishing in the attention and wanted nothing more than to stay like this a little while longer. The more he tried to figure it out, the more he started to sweat from their proximity. His hands started to shake a little. "You're not relaxing."

"Working on it…" Sora muttered. He licked his lips as he began casting Firana. The flames appeared around the two boys and began swirling. Sky glanced over to observe their progress.

"You're doing it!" Riku said. His breath on Sora's neck was a sudden reminder that he was still there and the younger brunette squeaked in response. The flames shot out in different directions as he lost control of his magic. Sky and Kairi ducked under the wild fire as it soared overhead and vanished. "Oh way to go, dude. You blew it." Riku chuckled as he walked over to where Sky was instructing Kairi. Sora was still catching his breath.

"What just happened?" he asked himself.

At the conclusion of the day's training, Sky took Sora aside to speak with him private.

"I saw you almost got the hang of the _Firana_ spell," he said to the shorter brunette. "So what went wrong?" Sora shifted from foot to foot. He had an idea but he was unwilling to share it with Sky just yet. "I'll tell you what I think. You're being distracted. You don't take things seriously with Riku around."

"That's not-"

"Starting tomorrow, I'm alternating between training you solo and training the others separately."

"What?!" Sora yelled. "You can't do that!"

"You wanna learn how to fight and protect the ones you love? You'll do as I say!" Sky's stern expression left little room to argue. Sora gritted his teeth.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'll ship your ass right back to Destiny Islands, break your legs, and send you postcards about the war. Your choice." Sky briskly walked off, leaving Sora angrier than ever.

oOoOo

Day one of Sora's solo training was about to begin and he could already predict it was going to be a sour one. Sky had told him to meet him in Coliseum, which had an open non-existent roof, and it was pouring rain. Sora stood in the sheltered hallway leading to the main ring, waiting for the older man. Sky was rarely late.

Just as Sora was starting to question whether he got the time or place wrong, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder. When he turned to see who it was, he was met with a hard punch right in the face. He fell backward, clutching his nose in pain. Standing above him wearing a look a discontent was none other than Sky.

"What the hell was that for?" Sora shouted.

"I said wait for me _in_ the ring!" Sky scolded, walking past the injured Keyblade Master.

"It was raining!" Sora screamed in fury, still holding his nose to keep from getting blood on the floor. "And you were late!"

"I wasn't late. I was waiting in the wings to see if you'd follow orders. You failed." Sky stepped out into the rain and into the center of the ring. Automatically, four barrels appeared around him. "Hurry up, you piss-poor excuse for a Keybearer! Kairi could take a punch better than you!" Sora felt like screaming in frustration. He got back to his feet and joined Sky in the ring. The rain immediately began soaking his clothes and hair. "Your first task is to destroy all four barrels at the same time."

Sky snapped his fingers and the barrels began moving in random directions. Sora spun around, trying to track them all with his eyes but unable to do so. He concentrated for a few seconds and cast Firana. The swirling flames formed a circle around him and spread out, striking all four barrels at once.

"There's hope for you yet," Sky mocked, snapping his fingers. Ten barrels appeared. Sora waited a few seconds for his mana to recharge and cast Firana again, taking out seven of the ten barrels. "Fail." The seven barrels reappeared. Sora growled and tried again. He destroyed all ten barrels. Sky produced another twenty.

"Oh come on!" Sora protested.

"Quit your bitching and get on with it," Sky said without a hint of remorse. Sora got the distinct feeling that Sky was enjoying this.

A few hours of destroying nothing but barrels went by slowly. Sora was breathing heavily by the end. He was up to over two hundred barrels at once. Sky had finally announced that Sora was ready for the next level.

"Knock me out of the ring without using a Keyblade," Sky said simply. Sora was taken aback by the request. Then he smirked. Any excuse to finally get back at Sky for the weeks of torture he had to endure. He cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

Sora broke the stalemate by rushing at Sky, fists at the ready. Sky sidestepped it easily. Sora spun around and tried a leg-sweep, but Sky mere leapt over Sora's feet. Sora jumped up and cast Firana. Sky produced a Protega shield around himself, deflecting the firebird. Sora groaned. The temptation to summon his Keyblade was great, but he denied that urge and continued throwing punches and magic at Sky. Sky was simply too fast for Sora.

Sora finally got a hand on Sky's shoulder and attempted to pull him towards the edge of the square ring, but Sky created a Door to Light and slipped through, reappearing from another Door above the ring.

"That's cheating!" Sora accused.

"That's using the skills you learned to your advantage," Sky countered. Sora did a High Jump and tried to kick Sky out of the air, but Sky let himself plummet back into the ring, leaving Sora to kick nothing. Sora glided back to the ring and tried casting Bind on Sky, but the older man already had his Protega bubble up.

"This is impossible…" Sora murmured unhappily to himself. He ran at Sky and grabbed him by the arm, pulling towards the edge of the ring. Sky didn't budge. Instead, he jerked his arm forward, causing Sora to lose his footing on the rain-slick tiles of the ring and fly off the edge.

"Maybe I should just drop you off on Destiny Island," Sky called, folding his arms. "You're no good to us here. You can't even defeat me in a fake battle." Sora made no attempt to get up. He was just so sick and tired of being treated like a child. The rain came down in torrents, blurring his vision. "Get up, Sora."

"What's the point?" Sora sighed. "I can't hit you. I can't fight you. I'm just wasting my time and making a fool out of myself."

"Get back in the ring."

"No."

"I will not hesitate in following through on my threats. I'll send you home if you don't get up. Now _get up_." Sora squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't give up. The whole of creation was depending on him to defeat Maleficent and her dark army. But if Sky couldn't beat her and Sora couldn't beat Sky, what chance did Sora really have? "Get. Up."

Sora began thinking about his friends and how they were dealing with Sky's training. He started thinking about Riku and how much he actually missed the silver-haired teen. Things just weren't fun without him. Sora suddenly felt a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was like he realized that he wasn't whole without Riku around, therefore his spells weren't as effective. But thinking about him seemed to fill the void.

Sora reluctantly got back to his feet and crawled back into the ring. Sky watched on.

"Good," he said. Without warning, Sky grabbed Sora by the neck, punched him in the stomach, knocking the breath from Sora's lungs, and tossed him aside. Sora curled up, holding his stomach and unable to yell at Sky.

Sky began charging up some magic attacks. Sora rolled out of the way when a large lightening bolt struck the ground. He cried out when the electricity coursed through his body anyway, conducted by the water around him. When he sat up, he was met with the sight of an icy bird heading right for him.

"_Protega_!" he yelled. The familiar blue bubble appeared around him and the icy bird smashed on impact. He was about to let the shield drop when an idea occurred to him. He began expanding the bubble. Sky back away slightly. The barrier grew larger and larger until it encompassed the whole ring, pushing the surprised Sky off the edge. Sora's face lit up. "I did it!" Sky jumped back into the ring.

"Lucky hit."

oOoOo

Sora narrowed his eyes as he focused on the target across the arena. That target was Sky enveloped in a Protega bubble. It was Sora's job to break through the barrier. He summoned up his mana and cast his first successful Thundana, hitting Sky perfectly. He grinned, waiting for some kind of approval or encouragement.

"Stronger." Sora's grin dissolved. He concentrated and fired another Thundana attack at Sky. "Stronger!" Sora took a deep breath and poured every last bit of mana and energy in him into the next Thundana spell. The shield dissolved but left Sky unharmed. "Stronger!"

"What?!" Sora collapsed on his back. "That's it! That's the strongest you're going to get from me! I'm done for today." Sky rolled his eyes.

"Why are you being so resistant with everything I'm trying to teach you?" he demanded. "This stuff could save your life!"

"You're pushing me too hard too fast! I can't pick up this stuff like it's nothing!"

"If I picked it up, then so can you!"

"Well that's you! You were thrown right into this war!" Sora was starting to lose him temper again.

"You want me to throw you in the middle of a war and see how well you deal? You'd be killed in an instant."

"I just don't see why you have to be such an asshole about it! Cut me some freakin' slack here! I've been working my ass off all month with this training!" Sora growled in frustration and threw his towel to the ground. Never in his life had he cursed so much in one sitting. Sky glared at the younger boy, silently fuming before his self-control disappeared.

"You wanna know why I'm such an asshole? Do you?! It's called 'growing up'! Everyone does it eventually! God, I can't believe what a whiney little brat I used to be! Life isn't fucking rainbows and hugs and puppies!"

"Yeah, well it isn't just death and destruction either!" Sora shouted back. "You know what? I'm sorry you've had such a rough 6 years, but get over it! I'm sick of you taking it out on me! How is pushing me too hard going to prepare me for what's to come?"

"I'm pushing you because you need to be strong enough to protect your friends and family! Or would you rather they were all killed?"

"Would you?!" Sora paused to breathe. "Would you prefer everyone was killed just so you'd have something to mope around about?!" Sky's eyes widened and seemed to flicker with fire and rage.

"_I already lost the one I love! _Why the hell would I want to go through that again?!" There was a long stretch of silence at that outburst. Sora felt like his heart just dropped to his feet. He wasn't expecting that at all. His throat seemed to close up and prevented him from taking the deep breath he sorely wanted.

"I'm… I'm sorr-"

"Just forget it. Forget everything." Sky turned away and began wiping his face with his towel. Sora bit his lip nervously. The air between them suddenly got thick with tension and discomfort.

"Who was it…?" Sky looked up at the timid question that left Sora's lips.

"What?"

"The person you loved… and lost… Who was it?" Sora asked with a bit more confidence.

"I said forget it. Drop it already, will ya?"

"Please… If you loved them, then it's someone I loved too, and I think I deserve the right to know who I lost in the future. So who was it?" Sky couldn't deny the logic of that statement. He sighed and attempted to casually hide his face behind his towel.

"Rhmmh…" he mumbled.

"What?" Sora cocked on eyebrow at Sky's evasive manner. Sky sighed again.

"…Riku…" he whispered. "The one I loved and lost was Riku." He slowly turned to look at Sora. For the first time since Sora had met his older self, Sky's eyes were shining with unshed tears, his face full of emotion. But as quickly as it showed up, it was gone. Sky blinked a few times and turned away quickly, mentally berating himself for showing such weakness. "That's why you need to be prepared. I don't want you to go through the pain I went through. The pain I'm _still_ going through…" He made his way briskly out of the arena, leaving Sora to contemplate what was said.

Sora felt like someone had dropped a ton of bricks on his head. The very idea that there was a future where Riku was dead seemed foreign and unbelievable. Riku couldn't die. No one could take him down. Riku was invincible!

Sora choked slightly. No, Riku was mortal, just like everyone else. It made Sora feel sick and panicky all at once, as if any moment now Riku was about to be murdered and there wasn't a thing Sora could do about it.

Then his thoughts turned to the other part of Sky's outburst. Riku was someone Sky loved. But he didn't specify how. Sora's mind was suddenly burning with questions that demanded answers. Did Sky love Riku like a brother? Or was there something more…? Did it have anything to do with Sora's conflicting emotions now? Or was Sora letting his emotions cloud his thoughts? Surely it was nothing more than brotherly love. But then why was it so strong?

Giving up on sorting his thoughts out, Sora picked up his towel and walked to the locker room. There, he found Sky sitting on the bench, holding something in his hand. Sora walked slower and quieter so as not to disturb Sky. He was suddenly interested in what Sky was holding, so he moved closer for a better look. When he got close enough, he saw that it was a photograph. In the photo were himself and Riku smiling and giving a peace sign. Sky stirred and quickly looked over his shoulder at Sora. He hid the photo at once and pretended to be distracted with something else.

"What was that?" Sora asked quietly.

Sky huffed. "Spoilers. Don't worry about it." He put his things in his locker and sat down again, head hung low as he lost himself in his memories. Sora sat down next to him and they were very quiet for many minutes.

"How'd it happen?" Sora finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity. Sky glanced at him.

"How'd what happen?" he replied. Sora cleared his throat uncomfortably. He didn't want to open old wounds if Sky didn't want to share. But he convinced himself that it was important to know what happened to his best friend in the future.

"How did… Riku die?" Sky sat back slightly, taking a moment to compose his thoughts.

"May 30th, 2008," Sky said as if reciting a historical date. "Just under a year after the war started." He laughed bitterly. "Didn't get very far into it… He was one of the lucky thousands not alive to see how horrible things became." Sora winced. "We were all on individual missions around that time, searching for survivors and refugees, striking at the Heartless wherever we could, that sort of thing. The Port Royal mission came up. I wanted to go back and visit my friends there, but King Mickey gave the mission to Riku." Sky smiled faintly. "I still remember playing Rock Paper Scissors with him to see who would get to go. He won seven rounds in a row before I gave up."

Sky's smile disappeared, replaced with a sad look. "He and his team were killed in an ambush not more than five minutes after arriving on the planet. Only one survivor." Sora shuddered, still unable to come to terms with the fact that Riku could be killed at all. Sky closed his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath. "I didn't even say goodbye when he left for Port Royal. I wish I had… I remember my last words to him were 'You dirty cheater!'" He started scratching his head to draw attention away from his face where his eyes were becoming steadily glossier.

"For days, I thought it was some sick joke everyone was playing on me. I thought he'd come walking through a door any minute and tell me it was pretend. But he never did. On the fourth day after his death, they were finally able to recover his body along with all the others killed in the ambush. A mass funeral was held for them. I still thought it was a joke. I didn't go." Sky rubbed his face to cover up his emotions. He promised himself he wouldn't break down, not in front of his younger self anyway.

"Two days later, I snapped and launched an attack on the Heartless base in the Land of Dragons. I was nearly killed. I think I wanted to be killed." He shook his head. "Kairi stopped me. She brought me home, healed me, and helped me through everything. For months, I blamed myself for his death. I just kept thinking… 'If only I had won _one _round of Rock Paper Scissors, he would have let me go on the mission, and he'd still be alive.' It was the worst year of my life."

"I…" Sora whispered, feeling tears in his own eyes. It was heart-wrenching to imagine a world without Riku. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry…"

"It's alright, kid," Sky murmured. "It took me years to get over it. It still hurts to think about, but it's also such a relief to talk about it now."

"Can I ask you something?" Sora hesitated. He desperately wanted to know what Sky's relationship with Riku was like before Riku died. But he didn't know how to phrase it without giving away his confliction emotions. "Were you and Riku ever… I mean… How close were you…before he…? You said you loved him…" Sky was quiet, his blue eyes watching Sora carefully, studying the teen's expression. He appeared to be searching for something in Sora's face. And like a key clicking a lock open, Sky found it and smiled.

"You'll see someday," he said. Sora's face faltered. Could Sky be any more cryptic? Just what was that supposed to mean?

"I don't understand."

"You will. Not right now." Sky stood up and made his way to the door. "Break time's over. We still have a lot of exercises to get through!" He snapped his fingers and pointed to the hallway leading back to the arena. "Move it." Sora groaned. For a moment there, he could have sworn they were bonding. But now it was back to student sensei interaction. "I said move it!"

"Coming…"

oOoOo

A/N: First Sky's the good guy, then he's the bad guy, then he's the good guy! :D It was rather fun writing the fight scene between the two Soras. Sky's abrasive nature is such a joy to write! I hope you're all enjoying the story as much as I am writing it! Drop me a line or two to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks to all the reviews so far!


	9. Chapter 9: Unprepared

**A/N:** Hey folks, sorry about the delay. Been having a bit of writer's block. I had tibits written here and there for later chapters, but tying them all together is a bit of a struggle. Rest assured, though, that I won't abandon this story and I DO had an outline and ending figured out, it's just a matter of getting to it. Be sure to read my final comment after the chapter end.

**Hourglass**

Chapter 9: Unprepared

Riku was training alone on a cliff top in Radiant Garden, punching the air and practicing tapping into his twilight mana. He paused when he felt the familiar warmth of the light realm bleeding into the real world. He looked up at the forming incoming Door and the two brunettes walking through it.

"Sora?" he said. Sky looked stern as ever, but Sora, whom Riku hadn't seen or heard from in over two weeks during the solo training, looked a little older, a little wiser, and definitely stronger. Sky had finished passing on everything he knew and learned in the future, every spell, every limit, every attack, even new Drive abilities. Now it was a simple matter of Sora honing the skills he had acquired.

"Hi Riku!" Sora greeted warmly. Sky looked back and forth between the two and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I've got a meeting with the Atlanteans in half an hour," he said quietly, stepping backwards into the Door again. "I'll leave you two to… train." Sora didn't know what Sky was implying with that last part, but he was thankful for the time alone.

But now that they were alone, Sora didn't know what to say. That panicky feeling he felt the day Sky told him that Riku was dead in his timeline was starting to return. He felt a sudden need to protect Riku.

"I've missed you," he said quietly. Riku smiled with embarrassment, unsure how to respond.

"I missed you too, I guess," he said, scratching the back of his head. "You, uh…you look stronger." Sora's cheeks warmed slightly as he looked down at himself.

"Thanks! The training actually paid off."

"Sky wasn't too rough with you, was he?" Sora thought back to all the various lessons, the bruises, the ice-packs over swollen sprains, and burns from magic, but he found himself not regretting a moment.

"No." He smiled. "No, everything was fine. Check this out!" He took a few steps back from Riku and held his hands forward. A wind began blowing around him, one that was indescribably hot and cold at the same time. Flames began dancing around his form, followed by a stream of ice particles and snowflakes. A massive formation appeared above his head where two birds emerged, one made of fire and one of ice. They seemed to be dancing with each other, flying in a spiral before separating and dispersing. Riku could only gape at the raw power that Sora now possessed.

"That was incredible…" he whispered. Sora beamed at the first real encouraging comment in weeks.

"Isn't it? It's a combination of Firana and Blizzana! Sky helped me develop it!"

"What's it called?" Sora had never given that much thought.

"Why does a spell need a name?" Riku shrugged.

"Sounds cooler on the battlefield to yell random things." He and Sora began laughing. It was as though they had never really separated in the first place. Riku put on a sly smile. "So… You know what this means, right? Rematch." Confusion found a comfortable place on Sora's face.

"Wah…?"

"Because you cheated on the race back on Destiny Island, remember?" Sora's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"You're still holding a grudge about that? It was nearly six months ago!"

"You. Cheated." Riku folded his arms. "Plus, the fight we had later that day was a draw. I want to prove once and for all that I'm better than you." Sora scratched his head and smiled.

"Sure, ok." He crouched into a fighting stance. "Any rules?" Riku's smirk deepened.

"None whatsoever. First one to say 'uncle' loses." He took an opposing stance. There was a quiet stalemate for a minute or two.

Sora had learned from his training to be patient and methodical in battle, especially when fighting with an opponent of equal or greater strength. He learned various methods of turning an opponent's strength against them to overpower them. He had been taught to wait for the enemy to make their first move and take advantage of their impatience. But all that went flying out the window when Sora dove forward, catching Riku in a headlock and giving that silver head a good noogie.

"Ah!" Riku cried out in surprise. "You jerk!" Sora twisted Riku's arm behind him.

"Say 'uncle'!" Sora laughed.

"Never!" Riku gritted his teeth. He broke free and did a leg-sweep, kicking Sora's feet out from under him. Sora back-flipped and landed on his feet, firing a quick fireball at Riku. Riku deflected it with an icy punch and jumped forward. They exchanged fists and feet in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Riku backed off and began murmuring a spell under his breath. A dark aura surrounded him and from the void forming behind him, a great shadow creature emerged, one that look similar to a Chinese dragon. Sora watched on with a proper amount of shock and surprise.

"I'm impressed!" he called to his older friend. "You're in complete control of your darkness."

"You're not the only one who learned something cool from Sky," Riku said with a smirk. At the mention of Sky and the reminder of the 'special' moment that occurred between Riku and Sky, Sora's temper and jealousy flared dangerously high.

There was a burst of red and blue light as Sora's dual fire and ice birds flashed into existence. The shadow dragon launched at them, firing dark aura at the fiery one and wrapping around the icy one. The firebird breathed fire at the dragon and attacked it with its talons. The dragon roared and swatted the firebird away. Its momentary distraction gave the ice bird a chance to power up its attack. Within a matter of seconds, the dragon's body began to freeze until it was a mere ice sculpture of its former self. The firebird launched at the frozen dragon and shattered it. The shards of the dragon scattered across the field and pieces landed by Riku's feet. He stared at them with a mix of astonishment and amusement. The shards dispersed into dark wisps that returned to their owner. Sora was breathing heavily as his birds dissolved back into magic. Riku's gaze shifted to Sora's face, examining his expression and his tense posture. He smiled.

"Uncle," he said, spreading his arms out in a half bow. Sora's face shifted from incredibly pissed to incredibly confused. The battle was far from over, yet Riku was just giving up.

"C'mon!" Sora shouted. "We were just getting started!"

"And that's what scares me," Riku replied, that smile never leaving his lips. "I hate to see what would happen if I had to face your full wrath." And just like that, Sora's anger dissolved away like his magical birds had. He was taken aback. Riku had never once admitted that Sora was superior to him. Either Riku had really matured over the last 6 months, or Sora's newfound power truly frightened Riku. Sora pursed his lips nervously. He decided it was the former. Riku _did _seem more mature. Conceding defeat after years of trying to establish himself as the better swordsman and fighter took a certain level of guts. He held his hand out to Riku.

"Truce?" Riku hesitated because in the past, Sora had a sneaky tendency to lull him into a false sense of security and then spring a trap on him. But something in Sora's eyes, something new and somewhat foreign to the brunette's face, allowed Riku to relax. He took Sora's hand and shook it.

"Truce." And so ended the childish 12-year-old rivalry between Riku and Sora. Nothing had really changed between the two, but at the same time, everything had changed.

oOoOo

"Firana!" There was a simultaneous shuffling noise emanating from over a thousand troops. Massive amounts of flames burst forth into the air. "Left kick!" Another thunderous shockwave of noise went off. "Protega block rear!" There was a crackle of magic in the air as the troops summoned a barrier to protect themselves. "Good!" The assembled group took on a rigid stance of a well-ordered army. At the front of the group was Sky, their commanding officer. Standing next to Sky was King Mickey and Sora, nodding approvingly at the efficiency of the army.

"They're ready," Mickey murmured to his companions.

"Majesty, I suggest we launch our attack in two days time," Sky said.

"So soon?"

"Why wait? We're more than ready now. Maleficent will never see it coming. Her armies will be unprepared."

King Mickey considered this carefully while Sora looked out among the faces of the people he knew so well. Towards the back of the group were Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew. Sora was admittedly surprised the pirate had stuck around so long. Off on the left side were the forces of Agrabah led by Aladdin and their Princess of Heart, Jasmine. In the middle were various kingdom armies sent by the Crystal Citadel, the Enchanted Dominion, the Land of Dragons, Camelot, and Altantis. Near the front were the fighters and warriors of Radiant Garden along with Hercules, Pegasus, and Megara. Scattered throughout the crowd were residents of Twilight Town, Traverse Town, and other towns. And on the far right were the creatures of Wonderland standing close to their Princess, Alice. All the soldiers looked determined and ready for anything. There was no better time to strike at the darkness. And this wasn't even their entire army assembled. Many more were awaiting orders in the reserves.

"They can do it," Sora said boldly, turning to the King. "Look at them." Mickey looked at the group, his large eyes scanning their faces. He nodded.

"In two days time!" he called to them. "In two days, we fight!" A roar of cheers and applause of approval met the King's ears. Sky felt pride swell in his heart, knowing that even before stepping foot on a battleground, they had already won.

oOoOo

Sora walked along the familiar stonewall protecting Port Royal from naval attacks. It was unusually quiet. There was no bustle of human activity from the village. No whistling winds that he could feel against his clothes and skin. Not even the crashing waves seemed to make a sound. Sora shuddered at the lack of noise. It was unnatural.

He rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. There were bodies strewn out across the beach, the ocean lapping away at their blood. A great battle had taken place. Sora approached the bodies uneasily. He reached the first one, a man in his mid-thirties. Sora turned him over carefully, checking for a pulse or sign of life. The nameless man had neither. What he did have was an insignia etched into his shoulder armor. It was the mark of King Mickey. These were his soldiers.

Sora straightened up, feeling oddly detached from the situation. He knew he should have felt pity for the fallen soldiers, that his heart should feel grief, but he felt no connection to these men. He felt no connection to himself.

He walked a little further, checking each dead warrior. A young woman, an older man, a boy not much older than Sora. Sora froze. The boy was lying face down in the sand as the waves of the ocean tussled his silver locks. Sora took a few hesitant steps towards him. With shaking hands, he turned the boy's body over. Sora recoiled back quickly as if burned. His stomach churned as his heart filled with dread.

Riku's dead eyes stared back at Sora.

Sora wanted to scream. He wanted to run. He wanted to wake up. And wake up, he did, screaming.

It took a few minutes for the brunette to regain his senses and recognize his surroundings. He was lying in bed in the guest suite of Disney Castle. The cold shores of Port Royal were nothing more than a scattered dream. Panic set in.

Sora leapt from his bed and rushed out his room. He ran the short distance between his room and Riku's. He briefly considered barging through the door to see the older boy, but stopped himself at the last moment. With his heart still pounding, he gently opened the door and crept in. He needed reassurance. He needed to know that Riku was still alive.

His footsteps made little noise as Sora closed the distance between the door and Riku's bed. Riku was sleeping soundly and the only noise was his soft breathing filling the room. Sora kneeled beside the bed, watching Riku carefully. Once his heartbeat had returned to its normal rate and he was satisfied with the visual evidence of Riku's continued existence, Sora began to leave the room.

"Sora…?" Sora's heart stopped briefly by the sound of Riku's tired and confused voice. "Wazgoingon…?"

"Nothing…" Sora whispered, feeling guilty about being caught. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay…" And just like that, Riku was out like a light. Sora released a sigh of relief, having the reassurance he needed, and made his swift exit.

oOoOo

The cold streets of the City That Never Was seemed deserted as a lone man made his way down the road towards a neon-glowing skyscraper. The occasional Heartless would emerge from the shadows to catch the foolish prey, but upon recognizing the figure, they retreated back into the darkness, uninterested. The man was not a particularly fearsome sight. He wore shabby clothes, mixed and matched from other garments, and a bandana over his balding head. His stomach was round and his legs stubby. He didn't look like much of a threat to anyone.

When he arrived before the doors of the skyscraper, they opened with a painfully slow pace, revealing the evil fairy herself, Maleficent, self-proclaimed Queen of Darkness.

"Kneel, filth," she ordered quietly. The man bowed before her quickly and rose again.

"I bring word of the enemy's movement," he hissed in an urgent tone. His voice held a slight accent.

"Then speak."

"They plan to attack in two days time." A cruel smile formed on Maleficent's lips.

"Do they now?" She let out a hollow, humourless laugh. "Then I think it shall be appropriate to pay them a visit tomorrow evening. Why make them come all this way here?" She waved the man away.

"And what about my reward?" he grumbled loudly. Maleficent's eyes flashed dangerously.

"You shall be paid in time, you disgusting pirate. Now go back and keep doing your job!" The pirate didn't move.

"I was promised 'alf now, and 'alf later! You think there'll be time to pay me once Jack Sparrow realizes I've betrayed 'im? 'E'll slit my throat ear to ear!"

"The first half of your reward is the opportunity to live…" Maleficent drawled. The pirate paled. "The only reason you're still alive, you cowardly pig, is that you may still prove useful yet. Don't push your luck." The pirate bowed several times as he back away quickly. "Oh and one more thing, Pintel." The man stopped, looking up. "When the Heartless arrive, they won't be able to tell the difference between the enemy's hearts and yours. So do stay out of their way." She waved him off again.

"Yes, your Majesty." He wasted no time getting away from the skyscraper and back to his Heartless contact that helped him get there in the first place.

oOoOo

Sora found himself wandering the courtyard of Disney Castle with a feeling of anxiety. If it were any other night, he might have chalked it up to eating too fast. Dinner had just been served, but he hadn't eaten much of anything. He was afraid he'd be sick if he did. It was the night before the attack and he could honestly say he was quite nervous about what was to come. Even though he knew the troops were ready, there were still going to be casualties. Almost every single person in the army was a friend of his. He knew them all by name. He didn't want to lose anyone. Especially not after what Sky had told him about Riku in the future.

That's what had Sora worried the most. He knew the odds of a random Heartless taking Riku down were pretty slim, but it didn't quell the storm in his heart. All it took was a lucky hit from an enemy and Riku would be gone forever.

Speaking of Riku… "Hey." A voice directly behind Sora made him jump almost 4 feet into the air. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry," Sora said as he tried to get his racing-pulse under control. "You just snuck up on me, that's all." Riku laughed.

"Snuck up on you? Sora, I tripped over a hedge over there before I found you. I could have woken the whole castle with that racket. And you mean to tell me you didn't hear me coming?" He grinned and shook his head in a mock disapproval. "What if I were a Heartless? You'd be dead." Sora gave a weak smile.

"Sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind." He turned to admire a large rosebush. Anything to keep from locking eyes with Riku. Riku's attitude grew solemn.

"It's the eve before our preemptive strike. Of course you're worried. But you saw the army." He placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, unaware of the sudden discomfort that Sora felt immediately afterwards. "We're ready, Sora. We can do this. So let's just forget about it until tomorrow morning. Enjoy the time we have now." Taken out of context, that last bit could have almost sounded quite suggestive. Sora's eyes trailed away from the rosebush to Riku's face. Just looking into his aquamarine eyes calmed the brunet down significantly. Maybe it was Riku's comforting words, or his general cocky manner towards everything, but Sora was filled with confidence.

"Yeah, you're right," he said slowly. "We're gonna beat Maleficent! Then we can go home!"

"We'll go together, just like last time. Promise." Sora smiled brightly at those words. 'Together' rolled so nicely off the tongue.

But before he could respond, there was a massive explosion from the front of the castle. Sora and Riku were thrown off their feet as the ground shook violently and debris rained down on their heads. Coughing, they gathered their bearings and gaped at the castle walls where a large portion had been blown apart. On the other side were thousands of Heartless soldier marching towards them.

"Sound the alarms!" Sora called as he summoned his Keyblade.

"I'm not leaving you!" Riku yelled back, brandishing his own weapon.

"Someone needs to warn the others! I can hold them off! GO!" Riku made a look of despair but followed Sora's orders anyway, running off to find someone. Sora turned his attention back to the oncoming storm.

As soon as the first yellow-eyed creature stepped foot on Disney Castle grounds, it was struck down by the Oathkeeper. Sora summoned a temporary barrier to keep the rest out. Another explosion rocked the ground a few meters down the wall and more Heartless began pouring through the cracks that had formed. Sora attacked them with a thunder spell, pushing them back. He dove at the random few who managed to sneak through, slicing through them. Three more blasts in the wall indicated to Sora that he was about to lose control over the situation. Just as a handful slipped through, a flying blade destroyed them. Sora looked over his shoulder to see Yuffie among the others, brandishing her boomerang-like weapon.

"I hope we didn't miss the appetizers!" she called happily, diving into the fray. Close behind her was the entire army that had been training the previous day. Sky was at the front leading them. Sora smirked and turned back to the hordes of Heartless trying to break through.

Slowly but surely, they were able to push the enemy back beyond the walls. Sora spotted the source of explosions being wheeled towards them. It appeared to be a giant catapult loaded with fire-element Heartless that detonated upon impact. Sora pushed through the enemy ranks to reach the contraption and put an end to the assaults. Before he could get close enough, he was knocked to the ground by an enormous armored Heartless. He rolled out of the way as it brought down a heavy hammer intent on crushing his small-by-comparison body.

When the Heartless suit of armor raised his hammer above his head, Sora shouted, "Deep freeze!" and fired a Blizzana attack at its arms. An icy bird careened into the beast, turning its arms to ice immediately and shattering under the weight of the hammer, crushing his foe. Sora ducked out of the way when it landed next to him. Not wasting time to assess the damage, he foraged on to stop the catapult.

His allies were holding their own against the enemy. Leon cocked his gunblade as he drove it into the body of a Heartless soldier and fired, blasting it and the one behind it into a million pieces. There was a flash of light a few feet away as Alice used her Jabberwock Eye Staff on a few Dark Truffles, obliterating them instantly. Further down the wall, Jack Sparrow and his crew dueled with a band of pirate Heartless. Kairi was using various light-based techniques to disperse groups of advancing enemy soldiers. Over with Sky, he was dealing damage to dozens of enemy Heartless at once with his dark magicks. Emerging from the castle grounds to the battleground, Riku scanned the fighting crowds and spotted Sora making a beeline towards the war machine. Catching on quickly as to what Sora was planning, Riku began pushing and fighting his way to the catapult as well.

As soon as he was close enough, Sora leapt up to the moving frame of the catapult, kicking the clinging Heartless off. The operator of the machine left its post to attack Sora, swinging its sword at him. He deflected it and jabbed forward. The Heartless dodged and returned the attack, rushing forward to catch Sora's arm so the boy couldn't strike back. They struggled for control for a few seconds before the creature suddenly dissolved into nothing, revealing Riku standing overhead with the Way to Dawn pointing at the spot where the Heartless used to be.

"You looked like you needed a hand," he said smugly. Sora laughed sarcastically.

"I coulda handled it…" he muttered. Without another word, he fired a fire attack at the controls of the catapult and jumped off with Riku, slicing at the wheels as they descended. They fled quickly as it exploded, taking out many Heartless in the process. "How are we doing?"

"The army is holding up. No major casualties." Just as the two rejoined the ranks of their army, suddenly everyone froze. It wasn't a simple matter of everyone becoming shocked, but they were literally frozen to the spot, as if time just stopped. Sora's heart began racing despite the stillness of his body. He had experienced this one time before. A reaper of sorts was behind it. A bringer of death. And as if to confirm it, there was a shriek of terror from the other side of the battleground, and time resumed as normal. Sora whipped around to find the source of the scream and saw Fuu of Twilight Town collapse on the ground, a blackened spear buried in her back.

"Fuu!" Sora cried, racing to her side. He cradled her form as she gasped for breath. Kairi arrived a moment later, gingerly pulling the spear out and healing the spot quickly.

"She'll be fine, Sora!" she said, taking Fuu from Sora's arms. "Go find the thing that did this to her!" Sora nodded and jumped up, looking around for a familiar figure. Sweeping across the field was a cloaked form, gliding above the heads of the warriors. Sora recognized it instantly as the Clock Tower Phantom from Neverland. He ran at the floating creature with the intent of killing first and asking questions later, but he was frozen to the spot again. All the light warriors were. Meanwhile, the Heartless moved freely, attacking the unmoving bodies of humans. Sora watched helplessly as the Phantom glided over to General Li Shang. There were numbers counting down above his head. The creature raised a newly materialized spear above its head and struck down the Dragon General as the countdown reached zero. Time resumed once more to the sound of Mulan crying out for her love. The soldiers continued fighting. Healers were dispatched quickly to heal their fallen ally while the Phantom moved on.

The deathly Heartless was unbothered by the attacks of the soldiers trying to kill it. Their swords and weapons seemed to go right through it without leaving a mark. Sora knew from previous experience that the Phantom couldn't be stopped by simply attacking it. It drew its power from a temporal source last time, namely the clock tower Big Ben. But this time, there were no clocks around. At least none that were visible…

The Keyblade Master looked out among friend and foe alike, trying to figure out who might be responsible, whether intentionally or not. And then it clicked. Alice had received a pocket watch from the Mad Hatter that was capable of stopping time. The Phantom _had_ to be drawing his power from her watch.

"Alice!" Sora called out. "Your watch! It-" Time froze again and Sora was unable to finish his sentence. The Phantom floated over to where Riku was stuck midway between striking at a Heartless. There was a countdown above his head.

5…

Sora's heart sped up. The Phantom was going to murder Riku!

4…

Sora tried desperately to get his body to move, to make a noise, to do anything that would prevent Riku's demise.

3…

The Phantom produced a new spear from its cloak and raised it up.

2…

Sora began breathing sharply, hissing noises that he hoped resembled the word "Stop! Stop! STOP!"

1…

He felt a flutter of magic within escape and float carelessly towards where Alice was in the middle of casting a set of demon dice. The magic made contact with the pocket watch that was just barely visible from Alice's apron pocket.

Time suddenly resumed once more and Riku cut down the spear that was aimed for his heart. While he engaged the Phantom in battle, Sora ran up to Alice, retrieving the pocket watch and smashing it on a rock.

"Sorry," he said quickly to the offended princess and ran off to join Riku in battle.

Even though Sora had taken out the Phantom's main source of power, it was still a formidable foe. It was quick with the spears, jabbing forward and cutting's Sora's sword-handling arm. Sora hissed in pain, dropping his Oblivion to the ground. He gritted his teeth and charged up to his Final Form, donning his familiar silver outfit. With his arms free while his double Keyblades did all the work, Sora concentrated on healing himself. Riku took after Sora's example and used his newly acquired Drive technique. His outfit changed to dark blue and silver. The Phantom began losing ground as the two Final Form Keyblade Masters pummeled it relentlessly until it was weakened enough. The two charged up their Limit attack, seemingly appearing on all sides of the Phantom. All at once, they sprang forward with Keyblades at the front, cutting through the helpless Phantom in a flash of magic and energy. The Phantom vanished and a crystal red heart emerged from the darkness.

A nearby Heartless screeched out to its comrades. The enemies began forming portals to the darkness realm, and one by one, they retreated back to their base camps. Once every trace of the enemy was gone, Sora and Riku dropped out of their Drive forms. The remaining soldiers released a collective sigh of relief and took a moment to regroup and count their numbers. The injured were carried away swiftly to the medical suites. The dead were covered with sheets and carried to the ceremonial chamber for final rites.

"How many did we lose?" Sky asked as the generals and commanders assembled in front of Disney Castle's walls.

"Ten," Leon replied. He looked down, his face going dark. "Including Fuu and General Li Shang." Sora's face adopted a look of disbelief.

"But…" he whispered, unable to cope with the loss of two friends. "But they were healed… Kairi healed Fuu!" He focused his gaze on the redheaded Princess. "You told me she'd be okay!" Tears began pooling in his eyes. No one he knew had ever died before. Kairi's lips trembled as she struggled to maintain eye contact with Sora.

"I'm sorry…" Her voice quivered with grief. "I tried… I really did! That thing… Its spears had some kind of magic on the tips. It negated my healing powers." Sora covered his face with his hands. And to think, that Phantom had almost killed Riku with one of those things. Here they were, the night before the war was actually supposed to start, and he almost already lost his best friend. It was too close. Much too close for comfort.

oOoOo

The walls of Disney Castle were in the process of being repaired. The injured were all healed and ready for combat again. The defenses were being raised in preparation for another attack. Despite their victory today, Sora still felt rotten inside. That night's events were discussed in detail in an emergency meeting called by King Mickey.

"How did they know?" Leon demanded to no one in general. "We need answers, people!"

"This isn't right at all," Sky agreed. "In my timeline, they didn't start their attack until six months from now. And when they did attack, they struck at all the worlds at once."

"We haven't received any reports of attacks on any other world," King Mickey said. "This one was the only one."

"Which means the enemy knew we were building an army here." They went quiet as they thought it out.

"A spy?" Leon said quietly. There were a few murmurs.

"Perhaps," Sky said with a nod. "The only way to know for sure is to leak misinformation among the ranks and see if the enemy falls into our trap."

"Yeah, but who would betray us?" Riku asked. "Sora knows almost each and every one of these people. And he's a pretty good judge of character." King Mickey was tapping his fingers on the table in front of him as he thought about it.

"Who didn't participate in the fight tonight?" he asked. A few people made confused faces. "It's a well-known fact that the Heartless have very little distinction between human hearts and the hearts of their own allies. That's why Maleficent lost control over them the first time two years ago and they turned on her. So whoever has betrayed us likely went into hiding before the fighting started because they knew there was a chance they'd get caught in the crossfire."

"I can ask the commanders of the each unit to do a tally and see whose names don't come up," Sky said.

"Do it. In the mean time," King Mickey turned his attention to the younger Sora. "Sora, I want you to make a list of people you aren't as familiar with. We need to know who is untrustworthy here." Sora nodded reluctantly. The meeting was adjourned and all occupants left. Sora made his way briskly down the halls, wanting to escape to his room very much at the moment.

"Hey Sora!" called a voice. Sora didn't slow his pace. "Sora, wait up!" He was forced to slow down when Riku put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" Sora turned around slowly.

"Do I look okay?" he asked tiredly. "Two of my friends died today. It was almost three!" He suddenly found it hard to breathe when he came to the true realization that Riku nearly _died_. "You could have been killed!" Riku sighed sadly and gave Sora a hug.

"But I didn't die. See?" He gently bumped his head against Sora's to exemplify his point. "I'm still here."

"Riku, you're only alive because of a fluke of magic!" Sora protested, pulling out of the hug. "I… I…." His eyes began watering again. "God, I almost lost you…" He began rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what I'd do if that ever happened." Riku watched on, slightly confused. He didn't know what to say or do. He tried for a moment to put himself in Sora's shoes and he realized he'd be devastated too if Sora ever died.

"I'm not leaving you," he whispered, putting his hands on either side of Sora's shoulders. "Not now, not ever." Sora looked at his face and his breathing hitched slightly. Riku gazed back, a tender smile gracing his lips. Sora's stomach seemed to be doing back flips while simultaneously dealing with an infestation of butterflies. But all at once, it became too much to handle and he sharply pulled out of Riku's reach.

"I have to go." Sora backed away.

"But- why?" Riku looked a little hurt as he asked that simple question. Sora had no answer. He just knew he had to get away before he did something stupid.

"I have to go." And without further interruption, he dashed down the hall.

oOoOo

Sora paced nervously back and forth around his room. The soft illuminating lights from the side lamps were like little irritants mocking Sora's insomnia. It was late, very late. Sora knew he had to be up early the next morning. There was going to be a funeral ceremony for the lost soldiers, followed by a meeting to discuss their next plan of action. But Sora couldn't sleep. The scenes of the battle kept playing over and over in his head, taunting him, frightening him.

His brain was working a mile a minute, trying to quell his thoughts while sorting out his emotions. It was a like a puzzle laid out before him but some crucial pieces were missing. Whenever he tried searching under the metaphorical couch for the pieces, he found nothing but dust. The puzzle was his new emotions for Riku and the missing parts were questions. When did these strange feelings start? Why were they coming to fruition now? Sora seemed to recall as far back as when he was forced to shut the door of Kingdom Hearts on Riku, sealing his best friend in the realm of darkness, and he remembered an incredible surge of pain, regret, and guilt. It was those emotions that drove Sora to search so desperately for Riku later, but now Sora was wondering, what if it wasn't just those three emotions? What if he was driven by… love?

Suddenly those missing puzzle pieces were turning up. Sora thought about the moment he found Riku back in the World That Never Was. He remembered that similar surge of emotion that caused him to break down crying. He remembered the awkward moment in Wonderland when Riku had pushed Sora out of the way of a boulder, the time at Cinderella's party where they shared a comfortable dance, and the training session when Sora messed up his first Firana spell because Riku was so close behind him, the jealousy he felt about Sky trying to 'steal' his best friend. It was all pointing to one thing. And that one thing scared Sora.

"It can't be…" he whispered to the empty space of his room. "I'm… I'm falling… in…" He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he needed to talk to Sky about this.

Sora bolted out his door and down the hall. When he found Sky's bedroom door, he knocked urgently until the older brunette opened it with a look that said 'This better be good or you're dead!' Sora pushed past him and sat down on the couch in front of the coffee table while he tried to sort out his conflicting emotions.

"Can I help you?" Sky asked, a little annoyed that his younger self would rudely barge in without an invitation.

"Tell me I'm broken!" Sora suddenly blurted out. "Please, just… tell me I'm wrong! There's something wrong with me!"

"Why would I do that?" Sky asked, feeling a little confused.

"Because I can't stop thinking about him!"

"Who?"

"Riku!" Sora's voice was desperate and defeated, like he couldn't handle anything anymore. "I'm so scared for him! I keep thinking any moment now, he's going to die. And then I try to figure out _why_ I care so much! So much more than anyone else! I'd be sad if any of my friends were killed. I lost two today! But I'd feel ten times worse if Riku died! And then I started to realize that… I might be… I'm…" He shook his head. "And it's wrong! It's so wrong! This isn't normal! I keep thinking about him and what you said about him!" Sky was about to point out that Sora was babbling, but couldn't get a word in edge wise. "Please, I have to know! I can't keep going on like this! I can't…" Sora paused, clearly exhausted and distraught. "I need to know if what I'm feeling is… is… normal…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "I've never been more confused about myself in my whole life. But ever since this whole Kingdom Hearts things came up nearly four years ago… I don't know!" He screamed out in frustration, punching his fists into the marble table in front of him. "I've been having these weird thoughts and emotions about him and… I don't know what it means! Then _you_ show up and make it worse!"

"Me?" Sky said with a hint of amusement. "Why me?"

"Because you went and told me he's dead in the future and you loved him! _You loved him!_ And now I'm not sure if _I_ love him too! But you won't tell me what it means! Please, just tell me! What am I feeling?!" Sora's eyes screamed for an answer and Sky watched him, studying his face as if trying to determine if he was ready to hear what came next.

"Yes, Sora, I loved him. I was _in_ love with him. But I didn't want to say anything to you because I didn't want to affect your timeline."

Sora laughed bitterly. "You mean anymore than you've already changed it?"

"That's saving lives!" Sky snapped back. "This is entirely different. This is a matter of the heart! One wrong word at the wrong time could ruin everything in your life. I didn't want to do that to you. I didn't know if or when you'd start realizing your own feeling for him. I didn't want to influence your choice by telling you what I chose."

"Well what did you choose then?"

"Wasn't it obvious? Did it really need saying?"

"Yes! How can I make an informed choice?! I don't even know myself right now!" Sora took a deep breath and struggled to get his emotions under control again. His bottom lip trembled as he said the next part. "Is this normal? Feeling this way… for another boy?" Sky almost felt his heart break. This was the conflict he had to deal with on his own when he was Sora's age. He didn't have anyone to help him adjust to his new preference. He never had someone to tell him it was okay at the time.

"Of course it's normal," he whispered, kneeling in front of Sora. "It's so very normal! You will not believe how _normal_ it is to feel this way." He smiled when Sora looked up. "I only wish somebody had told me that when I was your age. I didn't come to grips with these emotions until almost a year later."

"Really? You didn't just accept it?"

"Of course not! Realizing something like this isn't something you just wake up and decide. I was scared for so long that something was wrong with me. I was even more terrified of what might happen if Riku ever found out. But after a long while, I accepted this as part of who I was. Who I am." Sora's racing heart began to slow down with these comforting words. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to calm down.

"So… I'm in love with Riku," he whispered, finally accepting this knew part of himself. He started laughing a little. "I'm in love with him!" He opened his eyes and looked at Sky, his face flooding with relief and happiness. "And I'm okay with it!" Sky smiled as well.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Does this mean I'm…" Sora lowered his voice as if he were saying a naughty word. "…Gay?" Sky nearly burst out laughing.

"Well gee, I dunno, you do the math!" His mirth subsided. Sora's smile waned slightly as another thought occurred to him.

"Did… did Riku… love you back?" he asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer. Sky looked pensive for a moment before replying.

"You know what? I've said too much. Find out for yourself." He stood and walked away from Sora. Sora pouted slightly.

"You've already told me this much, what harm would it do if you told me the rest?"

"Because some journeys are better when you travel them yourself instead of getting the postcards." There was no denying the logic of that statement. Sora sighed in defeat.

"It's not that simple."

"I know that."

"You can't just walk up to your straight best friend and confess undying love. It doesn't work like that."

"I _know_ that!"

"Especially in the middle of a war! He'll think my priorities are seriously messed up! I mean, _I _think my priorities are messed up!"

"I. Know. That." Sky suppressed a chuck and shook his head gently. "You're talking to the guy who's been through it already. You want my support? You got it. But don't expect me to spoil the ending for you. You may not like the results." Sora groaned.

"Fine…" He thought about something. "Do you ever look back and regret it? Falling in love with him and losing him?" Sky's face took on a mix of sadness and happiness.

"I wouldn't trade my love for him for the world, Sora." Sora smiled faintly.

"Did you ever… love again?" Sky only hesitated a moment.

"No." He shrugged, helping Sora to his feet. "No one could ever measure up to Riku. And I think my heart would never let me move on anyway, even if I really wanted to." To hear such things was such a relief for Sora. He wasn't broken after all. He could finally put his mind at ease and let his heart do the leading. Like a mantra in his head, he told himself silently that this was normal. Love was normal…

"Thank you, Sky," he whispered as he walked to the door with Sky trailing closely behind. "Thank you for everything. You'll never know how much it means to be told that there's nothing wrong with me." He grinned slightly. "So… not even a teeny-tiny spoiler-"

"No!"

"Okay, okay… Anyway, I'm not afraid anymore. I'll talk to Riku as soon as possible and travel that journey myself."

"Good," Sky replied, nodding in approval. "Now get the hell out of my room before I kick your ass for waking me." Before Sora could say another word, the door was slammed on his face. He stood dumbfounded, blinking for a few minutes, and then smiled warmly.

"Goodnight to you too, jerk," he said with a little grin.

oOoOo

A/N: Chapter end, fuuuuu~! Sora's finally accepted who he is! Okay! But I would like to apologize to fans of Fuu for killing her character off. As we all know, wars are not pretty. People die. All I can tell you is she may have been first blood, but she will not be the last.

Anyway, I just want you guys to know that I'll be on vacation hiatus for the next little while, probably until after New Years. Sorry about the inconvenience!


	10. Chapter 10: Virus

**A/N:** Happy holidays everyone! And happy New Year! As promised, here's the next installment of Hourglass for ya!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 10: Virus

Sky shifted uncomfortably in his chair, sitting by himself in the back. He simply didn't like funerals. He had attended far too many than he cared to remember.

There were no deceased bodies present. They had been sent back to their home worlds for their families to perform any last rites or ceremonies and grieve. Instead, at the front of the great hall in Disney Castle were photos of the deceased, a list of names, and a guest book. The ceremony Sky and the others were currently attending was more a military formality than anything else. It didn't make it any less unnerving for Sky, who had already attended some of the deceased's funerals before in his own timeline. He really hated doing it again. He felt as though it meant he was failing his mission.

The room was full of people paying their respects. On one side of the room, Riku was talking to Mulan and the Emperor of the Land of Dragons and expressing his deepest condolences. On the other side of the room, Sora and Kairi were quietly conversing with some of the teens from Twilight Town. None were quite sure how they were supposed to react. This was their first time attending a funeral.

"It's weird…" Hayner said softly, scratching the back of his head. "They were our rivals back in Twilight Town, always getting on our case and getting into fights with us, but here we all are, fighting side by side with them. And now Fuu's…" He closed his eyes. "It shouldn't have been her. It's shouldn't have been anyone…" The others murmured agreements. Sora looked over Hayner's shoulder and saw Rai and Seifer sitting in the corner. The brunette politely excused himself and approached the former Disciplinary Committee. They paid him little heed.

"How are you guys?" he asked awkwardly. Rai glanced at Sora briefly and looked away. Seifer either didn't hear or didn't care. "I'm sorry…" Rai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Seifer went rigid and glared at Sora.

"We're out," he stated quite simply. Sora was taken aback.

"Whu…what?"

"You heard me," Seifer said, standing up. "Rai and I are out. We're leaving. We're going back home to Twilight Town." Sora was overwhelmed with shock. He wanted to ask why, but the answer was obvious. Fuu was dead. Back when Sora and his team had arrived in Twilight Town recruiting for the army, Seifer and his gang had signed up so quickly that there was little time to think it through. It was partly because they were trying to best Hayner and his friends, and partly because somewhere in the back of the teens' heads, this was all just a game. No one was supposed to actually get hurt. The reality of it all must've finally struck Seifer.

Sora eventually nodded. "I understand." Seifer had been expecting more of a fight. He had emotionally prepared himself for an argument, but when it didn't come, he felt drained and deprived. Tears began running down his face.

"Why Fuu?" he whispered, furiously wiping away the tears. "She was just a… just a kid… like us." For some reason, that struck a chord in Sora. They were all just kids in this war, yet it didn't stop the darkness from targeting them and killing them. It would seem that no one was too young to die.

"I don't know…I wish I did."

oOoOo

The funeral ended shortly afterwards. Kairi escorted Seifer and Rai back to Twilight Town. Sora found himself wandering the grand hallways of Disney Castle, busily distracting himself from morbid thoughts. He spotted Sky leaning over a railing overlooking the castle gardens and approached him.

"I think I'm starting to understand something," he said to his older self. Sky looked at him. "Why you are the way you are. Losing so many people… I don't ever want to go to another one of those again." He was referring to the funeral. Sky shrugged and looked back towards the gardens.

"Surprise, surprise," he muttered. Sora frowned.

"I haven't talked to Riku yet," he said, switching topics. "I thought maybe it's inappropriate to talk about something like that right after a funeral. I'll give it time."

"Time is something you don't have the luxury of having," Sky snapped. "What if that funeral had been for him?" Sora shuddered. "Exactly. So go talk to him now."

"Did you ever tell your Riku how you felt?" Sora looked Sky in the eyes. "Is that why you're pushing me to tell Riku now? Because you missed your opportunity and now you're making sure I don't miss mine?" Sky stared back. He was silent. Sora growled. "C'mon, answer me!" Sky's eyes flickered to a spot over Sora's shoulder.

"Everything alright?" asked a voice. Sora spun around and saw Riku.

"How long were you…?" He trailed off, embarrassed. Riku seemed confused. Judging by his expression, he must've only caught the last little bit of the conversation. Sora turned back to Sky, only to find the older brunette gone. Sighing, he turned to Riku again. "Yeah, everything's great." His sour face seemed to say otherwise.

"What were you guys arguing about?" Sora shyly looked away. His heart screamed to tell the truth, but his brain froze up.

"Nothing…" He was startled when Riku put his hands on Sora's upper arms.

"You can tell me anything, you know." Sora's sky-blue eyes trailed up to Riku's sea green ones.

"I…" It was so hard to think when Riku was staring at him like that. "I…" He felt himself leaning a little closer to the silver-haired boy. "Riku… I realized something yesterday. Something that's been with me for years but I only noticed it now." Before he knew it, his heart was doing all the talking. He took a deep breath, steadying his resolve. "I'm in-" He was interrupted by the loud sound of klaxons going off. Emergency lights came on and bells were ringing. Red strobe lights lit up, blinking along the hallways.

"What is that?" Riku called, covering his ears. Sora looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Since when did Disney Castle have an alarm system in place?

"Intruder alert," an electronic voice boomed. "Intruder alert." Sora and Riku stared at each other.

"Heartless!" they yelled. Before they could find the intruders, a short pillar of light appeared in their path. It looked very similar to the defense drones in Radiant Garden. A metal ball emerged from the light and began firing some kind of laser at the two boys. Sora yelped and summoned a shield around them.

"Why is it attacking us?" he said. Four more pillars of light appeared and fired upon the shielded teens.

"They think _we're_ the intruders?" Riku asked. Sora frowned.

"Let's get to HQ before the shield fails. We gotta figure out what's happening." They jogged past the little metal attack drones and down the halls towards the command center. A siren began going off and metal barriers began sealing off doors and sections of hallway. Riku instinctively fired a dark lightening bolt at the closing metal slabs in their path, short-circuiting the mechanics. The door stayed half open. They ducked under and kept running. More barriers were coming down, each a little faster than the last. It was getting more and more difficult for Riku to keep up with the magic.

They reached the doors leading to the command center, but a metal door had already closed in front. Sora banged on the door.

"Is anyone in there?" he called. "Hello?" There was a light banging response.

"Sora, is that you?" Sora recognized the voice of Lewis Robinson, their resident genius.

"Who else is with you?" Sora yelled through the two-foot thick barrier.

"Cid, but he's hurt pretty bad!"

"What happened?" Riku tapped Sora on the shoulder, pointing to the emerging beams of light and attack drones closing in on their position. Sora fired a dismissive lightening bolt at them, disabling them quickly.

"Cid and I were installing the new defense system, but there was an error in the computer. We couldn't figure it out in time! The defenses came online, setting the castle into lockdown, and started attacking us! I managed to overwrite the programming for the drones in here, but I've been locked out of the rest of the system!" Sora held his hand up and attempted to create a Door to Light, but the corridor wouldn't open. It was like something was blocking it.

"I can't get a Corridor to you guys!" he called through the door.

"Sorry, that's part of the defense system. It was supposed to prevent Heartless from creating dark portals inside the castle. We didn't have time to fine-tune it!"

"Can you open this door?"

"I'm trying!" More drones appeared, as well as a small laser turret in the ceiling. Sora's Protega shield was dying. Riku attacked the drones with his weapon while Sora took an elixer to keep his mana up. "Got it!" The metal door slid out of the way and Sora and Riku rushed through.

The inside of the command center looked like a wreck. The large oval table had been overturned, along with many of the chairs. Sheets of paper were scattered across the floor. The computer consoles looked fried and sparking. Cid was lying on his side next to the table along with three offline attack drones. Lewis was standing in front of the only working computer, typing madly on the keyboard and groaning each time an error message popped up. Sora cast a quick heal spell on Cid and passed him a potion once he was sitting up. Sora stared at the new computer hardware. There was a terminal and a giant red iris imbedded in the wall. Much of wiring was still hanging out.

"This looks like the stuff from Radiant Garden."

"That's because it _is _the stuff from Radiant Garden," Cid said gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck as he got to his feet. "We brought it all in this morning. The King didn't want a repeat of last night's attack. But now the damn thing is buggered! Can't figure out why." Upon seeing Sora's eyes light up, Cid rolled his eyes. "And yes, we uploaded Tron's program too." Sora smiled wide. The moment of happiness was broken by the sound of radio static coming from another computer.

"Come in, come in," a voice said frantically through the static noise. "Is there anyone there?" Sora ran to the computer and pressed the com-link button.

"Hello? This is Sora!"

"Sora! Thank god! This is Aeris! Where are you?"

"We're in the command center. Riku, Cid, and Lewis are here too. Where are you guys? Is anyone hurt?"

"We've taken shelter in the gummi shipyard. Do you know what's going on?" Sora explained the situation to Aeris. "You may need to go into the computer system like last time."

"We're locked out, though."

"That didn't stop you last time." Aeris had a point. Sora put on a determined face and approached the terminal with the red iris, hands at the ready. Lewis, Riku, and Cid watched him nervously. Sora began banging on the keyboard at random, hitting keys harshly and button-mashing. The computer made an angry sort of grinding noise.

"Attention current user," it announced. "This is a warning. Further misused of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."

"Sora, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Riku asked uneasily.

"Nope!" Sora replied happily. "But this is how we got in last time!" He tapped one more key. An alarm sounded.

"Decision gate reached," the computer boomed. "You are now under arrest." The large red iris on the wall began glowing.

"Riku, get ready!" Sora ordered. "Lewis, you and Cid work on the computer while we distract whatever's causing problems inside!" Cid and Lewis nodded. Riku and Sora stood before the red iris. A beam of light hit them, converting them into pixels and uploading them into the computer system.

oOoOo

When the upload was complete, Sora and Riku were standing in a prison cell in the world of the Space Paranoids. Riku groaned and swayed sideways. Sora caught him and steadied him up.

"Easy, big guy," the younger boy said. "My first time coming here, I passed out." Riku made a brief chuckling noise and shook his head clear. He finally looked around and stared at wonder at this world of neon lights and glowing clothes. He looked at Sora's attire and his strange headgear, and then noticed his own appearance was similar. Then he finally noticed Sora was still holding him upright.

"You, uh… you can let go now," he said softly. Sora blinked and relinquished his hold on Riku's arm. He took a moment to look around their surroundings. The prison cell was a little different this time around. There was no control terminal in the corner or a door of any kind. It was just a square room with neon strips running along the surface of the walls. "So… how do we get out?"

"It looks like the MCP learned from his past mistakes," Sora said unhappily. He pressed his hands along the walls, trying to find a way out, but there was nothing. "I wonder where Tron is…" He tapped certain parts, looking for a hollow space where a hallway might be. A section of the wall flickered, revealing a hallway beyond. "There." He summoned Oblivion and prepared to charge a Thundana attack, but Riku pushed his Keyblade aside quickly.

"Are you nuts?" he scolded. "The amount of energy it'd take to blast a hole in the wall in a confined space this small might kill us." Sora's eyes widened.

"Good call." He summoned a barrier around them and then fired a Thundana spell at the wall. The tangible hologram sparked and exploded, blowing a fuse and opening a path. Sora and Riku quickly jogged through before power could be rerouted back to that section.

Once they were out in the open, they could see the extent of the damage done to the system. There were thousands of digital Heartless swarming the mainframe. Sora may not have understood computers, but he could tell a virus when he saw one, and their system was completely infected. Six months ago, it would have seemed like a hopeless endeavor to fight an infection of that magnitude, but with the training Riku and Sora had received, this was a walk in the park.

They wasted no time driving into their Final Forms. They wanted to deal with this problem quickly. Swooping in, they began attacking the nearest Heartless drones that were devouring the terminal. Sora dispatched of them quickly with a bit of hands-free Keyblade momentum and examined the console. It came to life with a bit of prodding. It displayed the current status of the system, which Sora couldn't make heads or tails of, so Riku pushed him aside and began typing something. He was pulling up some kind of communication to talk to the outside world.

"Sora, Riku, what's your status?" asked the voice of Lewis.

"We're in," Riku replied. "There's a massive viral infection here. We're trying to clear it away. We got control over one of the consoles."

"Good, you can use it to scan the system and send me the report so I can write an anti-virus program."

"Sure, whatever you say." Truth was Riku had no idea how to operate such a complicated system either. "So, uh… how do we do that?" There was the distinct sound of an impatient sigh.

"Hold the buttons 'alt' and 'tab'. It should minimize the program running and pull up the next running program on the list. Open 'Commnd Prompt' and type the following." Lewis guided Riku through the necessary steps to scan the entire computer system. Once it was done, Lewis said, "This is bad. It looks like whatever infected the system is a remnant of an older virus from the old OS. It was laying dormant and multiplying its numbers until I rebooted the system and tried imputing new commands." All that technobabble went right over Sora's head. "Based on the information you got me, I can write a program to counteract the root virus, but you gotta get to the core to make sure it uploads properly. And you'll have to clear out the Heartless from the system."

"Wait, isn't that what the anti-virus thing is for?" Sora asked, thoroughly confused.

"There's no way I can write a program to delete every trace. I can only delete the source. You guys have to do the rest. I uploaded a schematic of the system to your headgear. Just press the button near the front and a 3D holographic map will appear. Good luck!"

"Hang on! Can you locate Tron?" There was a brief pause.

"Finished scanning. There's no program called Tron on the system. I don't think we installed it in time. Sorry."

"Right… That's okay." Sora and Riku turned away from the terminal. "So where to?" He pressed the button on his headgear to bring up the map. "Straight, left, left, right, loopy thing, core. Got it!"

The two boys sprinted down the halls with haste. They encountered a number of digital Heartless along the way, but had no real problems dispatching them. When they got to the "loopy thing" from the map, it turned out to be a spiral ramp leading upwards and it was crawling with enemies. The Heartless turned their attention to the two humans and began attacking. Sora fired multiple electrical bursts at the creatures while Riku slashed at them with his Keyblade. There was a rumble as the two fought. Sora looked further up the ramp to see an extremely large metal sphere rolling down towards them. He only had a moment to panic before instinct took over and he grabbed Riku to dive out of the way. The moment the sphere rolled past them, they were ambushed by heavy artillery Heartless firing large cannon-like weapons at them. Sora, with his arm wrapped protectively around Riku, deflected the initial wave of attacks and produced a Protega shield to defend against the rest. He threw his Keyblade at the tank-like creature's legs, taking them out and causing the tank to collapse forward into the ground. Once the coast was clear, Riku roughly shoved Sora off.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded of the younger brunette. "I coulda taken them too! Why'd you hold me back?" Sora hesitated. He hadn't realized just how overprotective he was being with Riku.

"I…" he stuttered. "I didn't!"  
"Yeah you did." Riku folded his arms. "You've been pushing me aside, doing most of the fighting, and fussing over me like some mother hen. What's your problem?" Sora didn't know what to say without explaining everything Sky had told him about the future and how he was so desperately in love with Riku that he didn't want anything to happen to him.

"I was just trying to help… I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself, Sora. I know how to fight just as much as you do." Riku turned away and began ascending the ramp. Sora rubbed his suddenly tired eyes. When did things go wrong? Sora thought he was doing Riku a favor by keeping him out of harm's way. A few minutes of silence stretched out as Riku walked away, leaving Sora standing all alone.

"You're dead!" Sora suddenly found himself shouting. Riku's movement stopped. "In the future. You're… dead…" Riku turned around slowly to face Sora. His expression was confusion mixed with shock. "Sky told me…" Sora wanted to explain more, but couldn't bring himself to do so. His throat constricted.

"I… how-" Riku ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Wha…. Dead?" Sora nodded solemnly. Both were saved from the inevitable awkward conversation when a new platoon of digital Heartless swarmed on their position, reminding them of the urgency to get to the core. They each took on four Heartless and with a quick bit of magic, the Heartless were no more. Riku spared Sora one glance before wordlessly ascending the ramp once more. Sora followed somewhat reluctantly.

At the top of the ramp was a large metal door. Riku and Sora fired a simultaneous burst of lightening at the door, disabling the electrical mechanics inside. They heaved as they lifted the sliding door up and slipped underneath. Inside, there was a glowing orb with electricity crackling all around it floating in the centre of a large circular room. Sora found a terminal and tapped the communication button to speak with Lewis.

"Okay, we're in," he said.

"Good," Lewis said. "I just finished writing the anti-virus program. I'm uploading it now. It'll take a few minutes. Your job is to make sure no Heartless get into that room and disrupt the process." Sora nodded, despite the fact that Lewis wouldn't see the gesture, and turned the com-link off.

The room was currently unoccupied and there was only one visible entrance, the one they came through. Riku was already working on closing the door to keep intruders out. A pitch light from the ceiling seemed to come on, which Sora could only assume was the anti-virus program being uploaded to the core. Things seemed to be going smoothly. And naturally, when one thinks such a thought, things must progress sourly from that point onwards. It was no different for Sora. The room appeared to grow darker suddenly as shadows crept in from the corners through the walls. The shadows congregated into a figure in the middle of the room in front of the core. Riku and Sora readied themselves for a fight. When the figure finally solidified, the room got brighter again, revealing the figure's face. Sora gasped.

"Tron?" he said. The figure that was supposedly Tron glared at Sora. His appearance flickered between his normal self and that of a Heartless creature with glowing yellow eyes and wisps of darkness escaping his body.

"He's been infected," Riku warned. Tron ignored the two boys and turned to face the core. He held his hand out and fired a stream of dark aura at the sphere.

"No don't!" Sora called, leaping into action. He cast Protega around the sphere to protect it from the dark aura while Riku launched at Tron with his Keyblade at the ready. Tron deflected his initial attack and raised his arms up. Several dark portals opened in the floors, allowing more Heartless to pour through. Getting over the shock of seeing his friend as a Heartless puppet, Sora struck down the nearest enemy. He jumped up on one of the Devastator Heartless and forcibly aimed its cannons at the others. Once it took out a good number of enemies and started jerking around wildly to get Sora off, Sora jammed his Oblivion straight into the hull and cast a fire spell, obliterating it.

Riku ignored the weaker Heartless around him and went straight for Tron. He struck forward, but Way to Dawn bounced off an invisible barrier. Riku cast Thundana, but there was no effect. Tron summoned more Heartless to his side. The creatures seemed to be protecting Tron.

"He's the source…" Riku murmured. "He's the root virus!" Sora's head snapped in his direction.

"But that means the anti-virus will kill him!" he cried.

"Sora, he's not human. He can't die."

"Fine, deleted, whatever! We can't let that happen! We gotta tell Lewis!"

"He's already gone, Sora. We can't save him! We have to do what's right for our people! They're still being attacked out there by our own defenses!" Sora bit his bottom lip. He knew Riku spoke the truth. Tron's program was beyond saving. It was too badly damaged. Even a computer-illiterate like Sora could see that. He nodded at Riku.

The two boys transformed into their Valor Drive forms and attacked the Heartless that Tron just summoned. Despite their best efforts, more and more dark portals kept forming and enemy reinforcements arrived. The shield around the core was starting to fail without Sora's constant concentration on it. Just when Sora was about to cast another Protega around it, Tron waved his arms. There was a flash of light, and Sora and Riku suddenly found themselves in a completely new area. Sora spun around, trying to get his bearings. They were in the game grid.

"This is bad…" he hissed. The sounds of revving engines met their ears. Walls began materializing around them, forming hallways and paths, like a giant maze. Four motorized Heartless drove around the corner, swinging chained weapons above their heads. Sora and Riku ducked as the chains were thrown at them. They had to jump out of the way as the Heartless tried running them down with their motorcycles.

"Why don't we get vehicles too?" Sora demanded to no one in particular. When the Heartless made another pass around, Riku jammed his Way to Dawn in the front wheel of one, causing the whole thing to flip forward and smash into the ground, taking out the Heartless driving it. Sora threw his Oblivion at another driver, knocking it off the bike. The vehicle spun out of control without a driver and crashed into the wall. "There! Now we got rides." The two boys picked up the discarded motorbikes and climbed on. The two remaining Heartless drove circles around them, using their long arms to try and scratch at them. Sora grabbed one Heartless arm and swung it into the other. Once the creatures were off the bikes, Riku cast a bit of fire at them. He nodded at Sora to go and they drove off to find the exit.

The whole area gave a shudder and the walls flickered like old TVs as an announcement was made from an unknown loud speaker. "Upload failed. System crash. System crash. Self-destruct in 5 minutes."

"Self-destruct?" Sora shouted. "We'll be killed!" Riku's eyes widened. The sense of urgency increased ten fold. They concentrated in finding an exit, but no matter how many corners they turned or other motorized Heartless they fought, there didn't seem to be an exit of any kind. "Oh forget this!" Sora jumped off his bike and aimed his Keyblade at the wall. "If you can't find a door, make your own." He fired his Firana Blizzana duel attack at the wall. The firebird and ice bird emerged and smashed into the wall. But they didn't just stop there. They kept going until they reached the very edge of the game grid and blew a hole in the wall big enough for Riku and Sora to escape. Sora hopped back on his bike and they drove at top speeds to get to the hole before Tron could fix the walls.

In a flash of light, they were back in the core room next to the terminal. There was a flashing light above the communication button. The core itself looked damaged but was otherwise still intact. There were large holographic numbers displayed above the core. They were counting down. Tron and his Heartless were nowhere to be found.

Riku flicked the com-link button. "Hello? Lewis?"

"Riku! Where the heck have you been?" Lewis' voice demanded. "I've been trying to call for the last few minutes! What happened with the upload?"

"We were sent to the game grid. We couldn't protect it."

"The system crashed and the virus activated the self-destruct sequence! The whole castle's gonna blow in less than 4 minutes!"

"What?" Sora cried. "Why the hell do we even HAVE a self-destruct sequence for the castle?"

"In case there was a foothold situation, King Mickey didn't want our most sensitive documents falling into enemy hands. The virus managed to hack into the core and gain access to our codes. I'm uploading the anti-virus program again. _Make sure_ it gets through this time!"

"Got it," Riku replied. He motioned to Sora to get close to the sphere. "All we have to do is make sure no Heartless touch the core, right?" Once they were standing right under it, Riku cast Dark Protega around all of them. Sora's eyes seem to light up.

"Why didn't I think of that?" he mused. Riku chuckled.

"Because I'm the brains of this outfit." Sora gave him a weak shove. "Anyway, we'll take turns keeping the shield up while the other's mana recharges. Okay?" Sora nodded. The counter above their heads read 2:45 and dropping. The familiar upload pitch light appeared above the core.

Dark portals began forming on the floor outside the Protega bubble. Tron emerged from one, wearing an impassive look on his face. He raised his hands and fired a steady stream of dark aura at the two boys. The Protega shield flickered but held in place. Devastator Heartless fired their heavy weapon cannons at the shield, weakening it slightly. Riku grunted from the effort of keeping the shield up. Sora watched on anxiously. Outside, dozens of minor Heartless drones were scratching at the surface of the bubble. Riku hissed, holding his hands forward to concentrate more energy at protecting the front. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and neck.

After a few seconds, Riku whispered, "Tag in. Your turn." Sora immediately cast Protega as soon as Riku's dropped. Riku's arms fell limp at his side. The counter read 1:12. Sora made a noise of alarm at the sheer force attacking his shield and the amount of energy it was requiring just to keep the bubble intact. Riku gulped down an ether potion and flexed his arms, ready to take over again if Sora required it.

"This is a lot tougher than I thought it would be," Sora commented, straining under the pressure. The Heartless were practically throwing themselves at the shield in a desperate attempt to break it down and stop the upload. Sora clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep his concentration solely on keeping the shield up. He could sense his mana was near depletion. "Your turn!"

Riku had little reaction time to cast his shield when Sora's failed. A stray Heartless tumbled through just before the new Protega went up. Sora weakly fought with the rogue Heartless, but his depleted mana made him feel lightheaded. The Heartless scratched at Riku's arm, causing the older boy to yelp in pain. His concentration waned and the shield flickered under the strain. Sora impaled the Heartless just as it was about to strike Riku down. Both took a minute to catch their breath. The shield was about to fail again and Sora wasn't ready to take over just yet. But they knew it was only a matter of time before the upload was complete. And that time was now.

"Upload complete, running program," said an automated announcement.

The pitch light above the core went out and the core released a wave of energy. Tron stumbled backwards when the wave hit him and his whole body was covered in bright blue sparks. After a few seconds of a light show, Tron fell to his knees and collapsed on the floor. The Heartless were unfazed by the energy wave. However, without their leader commanding them, they were left in a frenzied state. Riku let the shield drop and the two boys ran forward to finish off the remaining Heartless. The counter above the core was still counting down at 30 seconds remaining. Sora ran to Tron's side the first chance he got and turned the system sprite on his back.

"Tron? You okay, buddy? Wake up! Please wake up!" He gently shook Tron in the hopes that it would stir him back to the land of the living. Riku watched on anxiously.

"Sora, we gotta go! The core's about to explode!" Much to Sora's relief and Riku's surprise, Tron cracked open one eye. He suddenly jumped to his feet and fired some kind of energy pulse at the core. Riku and Sora made noises of distress but relaxed when the counter stopped counting down at 5 seconds remaining. Tron had deactivated the self-destruct sequence. He turned back to the teens.

"What's going on?" he said slowly. He looked at Sora fully for the first time and squinted. "Are you a user? I don't recognize your configuration." Hurt swelled in Sora's heart. Tron had been reset to an older version, one that didn't know who Sora was. He felt a tremendous amount of disappointment and sadness. But at the same time, he was glad that Tron hadn't been erased altogether.

"Yeah," he finally replied to Tron's question. "Yeah, I'm a user. My name's Sora. And that's Riku." Tron nodded as he stood up.

"Greetings, Sora and Riku. My designation is Tron. What has transpired here?" Sora and Riku exchanged looks.

"It's a long story…" Sora groaned.

oOoOo

Lewis jumped a little when the red iris terminal came alive and began shooting digital pixels to the empty space in front of it. The pixels formed together to reveal Sora and Riku.

"How'd it go?" the genius child asked excitedly. "Did the anti-virus program work?"

"We're still here, aren't we?" Riku said with a slight snap in his voice.

"Yeah, everything went fine," Sora answered, rubbing the back of his head. "Tron was the root virus, but your program cleared it from his system. He's all better now! We got rid of the rest of the Heartless. How are things out here?"

"Quiet. I think the defense system went offline." Sora turned the com-link on.

"Aeris? Report in!" There was static from the other side for a few minutes.

"Sora? This is Aeris." Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

"How are things looking from your end?"

"Fine, the drones went dead. We're tending to the wounded right now."

"Any casualties?" The silences stretched out longer than Sora was comfortable with.

"Eight soldiers dead. I'm sorry." Sora closed his eyes. "Three were from Cinderella's army, two from Snow White's army, and two from Radiant Garden's." Part of Sora was relieved that it wasn't one of his close friends and part of him felt guilty for feeling relieved at all. These were human beings, good souls who were being killed. They had families and friends of their own who would be grieving their loss. There would be more funeral ceremonies to come, Sora knew that for sure. He was not looking forward to that at all.

oOoOo

A week passed since the attacks on the castle. Things were starting to return to a state of semi-normality. Lewis and Cid managed to get the defenses in Disney Castle up and running without any further problems. They ran a scan throughout the world to check for dark portal activity within the last month and discovered that someone had been traveling through Corridors of Darkness on the outskirts of the castle several days before the attacks, confirming the presence of a spy.

Meanwhile, King Mickey was beginning the first stages of his plan to weed out the spy in their ranks. In order to narrow down the potential untrustworthy people, he gave each section of army a bit of misinformation. For example, he told the warriors from the Land of Dragons that there was going to be a meeting with the highest ranked officials on their world, but in reality, no one would actually be there. He told the army of Radiant Garden the same thing, except the location would be Radiant Garden. And so on and so forth. Which ever world was attacked by Heartless would tell them which section had the spy in it.

A few days later, on the day of the supposed meeting, a report came in telling of an attack in Port Royal. No one was seriously harmed, but it confirmed which section the spy was in.

"It's a pirate," King Mickey announced at the next meeting. There were murmurs of agreement from the others present, as if they had no doubt about it. Sky had gone oddly silent at this revelation.

"Should have known we couldn't trust them," Leon grumbled, shaking his head. "So should we take them all in for questioning?" King Mickey shook his head.

"Sora, based on what you know about them, who can be trusted?"

"None of them," Sora admitted. "Well, maybe Captain Jack, but his crew are a bunch of mercenaries. They work for the highest bidder."

"Then perhaps we should speak with Jack before we round up the rest."

"I'll do it," Sky piped up. All eyes turned to him. "What? C'mon, I know just as much as Sora does about who's trustworthy, and then some. I should do the questioning." King Mickey nodded.

"Granted. Let us know what you find. In the meantime, we've got bases to establish on other worlds. We shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket, right fellas?"

As soon as they were dismissed, Sky went stalking off in search of his 'prey'. He was determined to get to the bottom of the attacks as quickly as possible. And something told him there was something significant about the spy being from Port Royal.

He arrived in no time at all at the pirates' barracks on the east side of the castle. It consisted of sleeping quarters and a large room that served as their dining hall and recreational room. That was where the pirates congregated during their time off. It was there that Sky found Captain Jack Sparrow practicing his sword-fighting.

"Jack, can I have a word with you?" Sky said briskly. Jack sheathed his sword and turned to Sky.

"That's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow," he corrected, folding his arms. "What can I do for you, mate?"

"The night we were attacked, who in your crew didn't fight with us?" Jack looked properly perplexed for a moment, then attempted to look like he was in deep thought, and finally gave up with a shrug.

"No idea, mate," he answered. "It's been over a week! I can't even remember who I was sparring with this morning!" Sky groaned.

"So you mean to tell me that when I called you all to arms that night, you weren't paying attention to which crew members actually took up arms?"

"That's right."

"You're fuckin' useless." Sighing, Sky set out to interrogate every pirate in the castle if he needed to just to find the spy.

He had learned in the future that when it came to judging a book by its cover, one had to look beyond the obvious features and find the small details that one would try to hide away. It had aided him and saved his life more times than he could remember. Sometimes it was near impossible to tell which people were actually on his side and which people were either traitors or puppets under Maleficent's control. Sometimes it was dead obvious. Everyone had a tell – something that gave them away. Sky had become very good a spotting them. However, the tricky thing about finding a traitor among a group of sea-faring thieves is that they're all guilty of something or another, so finding the spy was like finding a very specific blade of grass in a vast green meadow.

His sharp eyes scanned the small crowd of unwashed pirates, trying to pick out something that would give him a hint as to whom didn't belong. Most were knocking back a few drinks and telling stories. A few were actually making use of the training they had received and were practicing their techniques. Two men stuck out like a sore thumb. They were quietly conversing on the other side of the room, set apart slightly from the main group. One was a lanky man with stringy dirty blond hair and what looked like a false eye. The other was a plump man who was balding. He seemed oddly familiar. Sky nudged Jack and pointed subtly to the two men.

"Who are those two?" he asked quietly. Jack stared for a few seconds as if he were struggling to remember their faces.

"Oh, that'd be Pintel and Ragetti! Last minute recruits." The name Pintel seemed to mean something to Sky. "Although, now that I think about it, I seem to recall them being part of my original Black Pearl crew…" Jack grimaced. "Before the mutiny." Sky's eyebrows rose significantly.

"Mutiny?"

"Yeah, when Barbossa stole my ship. All the crew turned on me." That alone put those two pirates at the top of his suspect list. He moved in to question them. The two pirates were deeply involved in whatever it was they were whispering about until Sky interrupted them with a harsh, "Ahem!" Both men jumped. The round balding one glared at Sky.

"Can I 'elp you wit sometin'?" he asked none too politely. Sky squinted a moment. He knew that voice. But he couldn't remember from where.

"Which one of you is Pintel?"

"That's me," said the bald one. "What'chu want?"

"Where were you the night of the attack?" Pintel seemed to pale for a moment.

"I was, uh… came down with a 'ead cold… Couldn't fight."

"Really?" Sky said sarcastically. "Tell me, what do you know about the Heartless, Mr. Pintel?" Pintel's eyes shifted back and forth nervously from Ragetti and Sky.

"Only what'chu lot 'ave told us. Dey steal 'earts and deys evil. End'a story!"

"Quite right, Mr. Pintel. They can't be trusted under _any_ circumstances. I made the mistake of trusting Maleficent once and look where it's got us. She set up camp in the Castle That Never Was and now she's got us fighting a war against millions of those things." Sky was reading Pintel's reaction carefully, hoping to spot something that might give him away. "The Heartless don't operate like humans. They lack fundamental intelligence. To them, either you're one of them or you're fodder. There is no middle ground. Their instincts tell them to consume any hearts with even an ounce of light. The only thing that holds them back is Maleficent's power. And even that is a fickle thing. She's lost control over them before. Who's to say it won't happen again?" Pintel was sweating now. His subtle responses were enough evidence in Sky's mind to convict him. But he still needed a confession.

"What's dis alla 'bout, anyway?" Pintel spat, trying his best to maintain his cool. "Why you tellin' me all dis?" Ragetti was watching their exchange with the barest amount of interest and unease.

"I just want you to know the stakes and dangers of working with the enemy." Pintel's eyes went wide. "I want you to be aware of the consequences of leaking information that cost over a dozen men and women their lives over the past few weeks."

"Look, I know those soldiers were yer friends an' all, and I'm sorry fer yer loss, but I ain't workin' wit dat witch!" Sky stilled at that statement. He definitely knew that voice. It was coming back to him.

_Sky paced back and forth in the courtyard above the gummi shipyard, waiting anxiously for Riku's return. They had left half an hour ago and it was hardly enough time to cause worry, but Sky couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong._

_There was a sudden flurry of activity around him as people were running to the shipyard in a panic._

"_What's going on?" he asked one of the passing soldiers._

"_We got a distress signal from Highwind!" the soldier said. "It's coming in for a rough landing right now!"_

"_Highwind?!" That was Riku's ship. Sky ran after them to the stairway leading underground to the shipyard._

_Inside, they were just bringing in the heavily damaged gummi ship belonging to Riku and his team. The main hatch opened and a plump, balding man stumbled out, coughing and bleeding from a wound on his head. The other soldiers helped him to his feet and led him to solid ground where he could catch his breath. Sky waited expectantly for anyone else to exit Highwind, but no one else was aboard._

"_Where is he?" he asked the only crew member present. "Where's Riku?" The man looked up and something in his eyes told Sky the truth he didn't want to believe._

"_I'm sorry fer yer loss…" was all the man could offer._

Sky blinked as the memory washed over him.

"It was you…" he whispered as realization struck him. "You were the spy who got Riku and his team killed…" Pintel squinted, confused.

"Wut?! What'chu goin' on 'bout?"

"Why didn't I realize it sooner?" Sky was talking to himself more than Pintel. Pintel exchanged a nervous glance with Ragetti. "Only one survivor from the Port Royal mission! But Heartless don't leave survivors! They wouldn't have let you escape! Yet somehow you did! Why didn't I realize you were working for her back then?!" All at once, Sky was filled with such an inconsolable rage that he could barely see straight.

"You're ravin' mad, mate! Off yer bloody rocker, you are!" Suddenly Sky hands were wrapped tightly around Pintel's neck, squeezing the life out of the helpless pirate.

"Oi!" Ragetti called, jumping on Sky's back to get him off his friend. "Leggo!"

"Traitor!" Sky roared, ignoring Ragetti entirely. His fury was much too great to notice anything except the pirate in front of him. "It's _your_ fault Riku was murdered! What was the price, you filthy pirate? What did Maleficent promise you in exchange for selling us out?" Pintel choked and sputtered, unable to speak.

"Sky! Stop it!" A new set of hands wrapped around Sky's unrelenting arms. "Let him go, Sky! We need him!" Sky ignored this new person and continued strangling Pintel. Nothing seemed more important than doing away with this mole. The pirate was turning a faint blue. "_Bind!_" Sky felt his body go rigid and everything below his neck went numb. His hands were forcibly removed from Pintel's neck by none other than Sora. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"It was him!" Sky shouted angrily. "He betrayed us! He killed Riku!" He struggled valiantly to overcome the affects of the Bind spell, but was unable to do so.

"What?" Sora was confused for a moment, and then realized what Sky was really saying. "In your timeline? He was a spy there too?"

"Yes!" Sora rounded on Pintel, who was desperately trying to catch his breath and coughing hoarsely while being supported up by Ragetti. A crowd had formed around them.

"Are you working for Maleficent?" he demanded. Pintel shrank back. His terrified eyes darted to Sky's frozen form and then to Jack Sparrow, who had arrived to see what the commotion was all about. Jack did not look happy at all. "Yes or no! Are you a spy?!" Pintel clenched his eyes shut.

"Parle! Parle!" he cried. "I promise to tell you whatever you want to know! Just don't hurt me!" Sora narrowed his eyes.

"Start talking."

oOoOo

A/N: That was kinda fun to write! Sorry to any Pintel fans out there. He was the perfect candidate to be a spy. Oh, and sorry for the rushed scenes in the Space Paranoids world. I'm not very good with action scenes sometimes. Anyway, more to come, but not for a little while. I had actually written up the original first 8 chapters before posting Chapter 1 and now I've kinda caught up to the lull, and it's taking me a little longer than expected to churn out the rest. But as I've stated before, rest assured, I have outlines written up for each chapter. It's just a matter of getting them down on digital paper. :D So I may be updating only once or twice a month. Sorry for the delay!


	11. Chapter 11: Easy As Pie

**A/N**: Tis the month of romance, so you know what that means… ^^ This chapter will make you _shit bricks_ by the end. Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 11: Easy As Pie

Dirty hands rested on cold bars separating Pintel from the free world. His eyes followed Sky's form pacing back and forth in front of Pintel's cell like a feline prowling for its food. Standing a little off to the side was Sora, arms folded and expression stern. Next to Sora were King Mickey and his two royal advisors, Donald and Goofy. Pintel glared a little and backed away from the cell bars, pressing his back against the cool surface of the dank cell wall.

"I ain't sayin' a bloody word till that goddamn maniac is gone," he said simply, sliding to the ground to sit. The others looked at Sky, who was still lurking about. His face was calm and collected, but his eyes were alit with vengeful flames.

Pintel had been put in Disney Castle's sparsely-used dungeon after they had reached a temporary agreement. The agreement was that in exchange for all the knowledge Pintel had relating to Maleficent and her plans, King Mickey had to grant Pintel asylum. And, of course, protection from Sky. The fact that the pirate was located in a cell was not to ensure he wouldn't escape, but it was to ensure that Sky couldn't get to him. The older brunette was less than pleased with this arrangement.

"I'm not leaving until you start talking!" Sky hissed warningly. Pintel visibly flinched. King Mickey sighed and gently pulled Sky aside.

"We need the information he has," he whispered. "So…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively as if to say 'Go away' but he was much too polite to actually say so. "We could use your help in Camelot setting up a command centre there." Sky growled in a low, challenging sort of way.

"Your Majesty, I really think-"

"Don't force me to make it an order, Sky." There was a quiet sort of power behind those words. Sky sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But I want constant updates about everything he says. _Everything_."

"Naturally." Sky gave Pintel one final glare before turning and walking down the long corridor exit. Pintel looked noticeably relieved at Sky's disappearance. King Mickey turned to Sora. "Sora, I want you to take Riku and Kairi to Snow White's Villa and check on the mining facilities there."

"What?" Sora exclaimed, surprised he was being somewhat tossed out as well. "I thought I was helping you guys question him!"

"I just think things would go a little more smoothly with less people." Sora huffed, knowing there wasn't much point in arguing.

"Alright. I'll report back in four hours." He left out the same way Sky had exited by.

oOoOo

Sora took a deep breath of fresh air when he, Riku, and Kairi step foot on the world of Snow White. There was a pleasant scent in the air, something like cinnamon with just a hint of vanilla. The sun was just setting and the birds were singing a farewell to this day with the promise of many more in the future. There was something about this world that made the teens immediately feel at ease in wake of the recent deaths among their numbers back in Disney Castle. It was nice to finally get away from it.

"Hello friends!" called a sweet voice. Sora and his friends turned to see Snow White waving at them from a small villa beneath several large oak trees. Her home was the picture of tranquility.

"Hey Snow White," Sora greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm perfectly fine! How are you?"

"Good, good." He looked around, unable to help feeling like this place was too good to be true. Somehow, he had expected Snow White to be living in a castle like Cinderella's or Aurora's. "This is a beautiful home you have here!"

"Oh thank you!" Snow White beamed, blushing slightly. "My husband William had this lovely home made for us after I starting feeling homesick."

"Homesick?"

"Oh yes! I used to live with the kindest seven dwarves in a cottage not too far from here! When William and I got married and moved to his castle, I couldn't stand the vast halls and endless amounts of empty space and rooms. So I asked if we could live in the forest among my woodland and dwarf friends in a cozy villa." Out of the corner of his eye, Sora could see Kairi and Riku becoming increasingly more and more nauseated by Snow White's ever sweet tone. "Oh do come inside! Perhaps we can have some tea and biscuits before we set out to the mine up north!"

"Sure, that'd be great!" The teens followed the young queen into her home. The inside was decorated with many keepsakes and vases of freshly-picked flowers. Snow White led them through the parlor to the dining room, inviting them to sit as she placed a modest tray of tea cups, cookies, and a teapot in the middle.

"Would you like a piece of apple pie?" she asked kindly. "I baked a few pies fresh this morning. The dwarves insisted it was the most delicious pie they had ever eaten." The trio smiled and shrugged.

"Why not?" said Sora. "We've been working pretty hard lately…" They sat around the quaint table while Snow White went to the kitchen to retrieve the pie from the windowsill.

"I'm afraid it's cooled down some…" she said apologetically as she served up a slice per plate and placed them in front of each teen.

"I'm sure it will taste just fine!" Kairi said. There was a gentle knock at the front door.

"Excuse me a moment," Snow White said politely. She went to the door while the teens stared at their plates with anticipation.

"Should we wait until she gets back?" Sora asked softly, his eyes never leaving his plate. There was a silence as Riku and Kairi thought about it. Snow White was such a polite woman – it would be rude to start eating before she returned.

"Well…" Riku started slowly. "Just a bite won't hurt…" It did smell really good. It must've been the source of the cinnamon they had smelled when they had first stepped foot on this world. He picked up his fork gingerly and sliced off a corner, slipping it guilty in his mouth. Kairi suppressed a giggle while Sora gaped at him.

"Well if you're having a piece, then I'm having one!" He reached for his fork but was interrupted by a soft sobbing noise from the front foyer area. Snow White slowly walked in the dining room accompanied by one of her dwarf friends. She had a hand over her mouth and tears running down her face. The teens stood up immediately upon seeing her.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Kairi said, rushing to Snow White's side. The dark-haired young queen sat down in a chair, her shoulders shaking. She tried to summon some words, but failed. Her dwarf companion, Doc, patted her shoulders.

"It's Sneezy…" he said glumly. "He el feathly dill – er – fell deathly ill. Passed away early this afternoon."

"Ill?" Sora repeated, in a state of shock. Although, as guilty as he felt about thinking it, it wasn't too surprising to hear that the hay fever sneezing dwarf in their numbers had gotten sick and passed away, but judging by Snow White's reaction and Doc's solemn expression, it was far worse than it sounded. "How?"

"We're not sure…" Doc explained. "He was fine this morning when we set out. Then he started complaining that he was dizzy and couldn't see straight. He sat down a moment and a few minutes later, he passed out. He drifted in and out of sleep for a couple of hours with a high fever before finally succumbing. We tried all the local herbs and medicines, but nothing worked!" Snow White's sobs increased. "We simply couldn't figure out what was wrong!"

"Could it have been the mines?" Kairi said. "Your people have been mining for unusual minerals. Maybe it's having a negative affect."

"I don't think so…" Doc replied. "Snow White's been keeping us healthy and fit with her regular wash routines and meals." The word 'meals' stirred something in Kairi's subconscious.

"Has there been any changes to the meals lately? Maybe it's an allergic reaction." Doc looked thoughtful while Snow White dried her tears.

"I did make pie this morning instead of bacon and eggs…" she whispered, sniffling slightly.

"Was Sneezy allergic to apples?" Kairi asked, thinking they were on to something.

"Oh, no," Snow White said with a shake of her head. "He's eaten many apples before with no problems." There was still something about the food that Kairi believed was responsible for Sneezy's sudden illness.

"Was there anything different about this batch?"

"Well… most of them I got from the orchard down the lane. But there _was_ this old peddler woman…" Sora and Kairi internally groaned. Snow White was so naïve sometimes… "She came by offering some apples for sale. I told her I was fine, but she insisted. And hers did look so much juicier! She told me they were magic wishing apples. I said I didn't need any wishes since my dreams have already come true, but I took a few anyway."

"You used some strange old lady's apples in your pie?" Sora said in a monotone voice, struggling to remain calm. "Who was she? What did she look like? Where did she come from?"

"What if it was the Queen?" Doc suddenly blurted out. "Oh Snow White, we warned you not to talk to strangers!"

"What Queen?" Sora asked, getting increasingly aggravated by the minute.

"My wicked step-mother, Queen Grimhilde," said Snow White. "She banished me from my home at the castle shortly before the first Heartless attack four years ago because I was fairer than her."

"She's a witch!" Doc exclaimed. "Practices black magic and the sort! I wouldn't put it past her to try giving a poisoned apple to poor Snow White!"

"The operative!" Kairi suddenly gasped. The others stared at her. "When I asked Sky about how I died in the future-"

"You're dead in his future?!" Sora cried. Kairi waved off his worry.

"He told me that there was a Heartless operative here on this world trying to kill Snow White! I can't believe I forgot until now! That Heartless is probably the one posing as this peddler woman and Snow White's step-mother. It gave Snow White a poisoned apple probably in the hopes that she would eat it and die. It probably wasn't counting on her using it in a pie for others."

"Wait, if that's the case," Sora said. "Then shouldn't _every dwarf_ be sick as well?"

"Oh, no," Snow White explained. "I was already making a pie when she came by. I used her apples in the second pie. I split them six ways evenly, so Sneezy got a slice from the second one."

"The second pie?" Sora questioned. "The very pie we were about to eat?" Snow White gasped.

"Oh dear, I hope you haven't had any yet!" Sora felt his blood run cold. It suddenly occurred to him that there was one person in the room who hadn't spoken since Snow White and Doc had arrived. His eyes slowly drifted to the boy in question. Kairi, who was watching Sora, followed his eye line, realization washing over her like a cold knife in her heart.

Riku was staring intently at his slice of possibly poisoned apple pie, a look of dread on his pale face as beads of sweat dripped down his face. He was breathing deeply, trying his best to remain calm.

"Okay… nobody panic…" Sora said slowly, moving to stand next to Riku. "Maybe it'll be fine. I mean, Riku only had one bite." Snow White's eyes were wide and her hands were covering her mouth. Kairi felt like she was holding her breath. Doc's mouth was hanging open slightly. "Riku, how are you feeling?"

Riku opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. He breathed in sharply, clutching his chest in pain, and collapsed sideways, almost as if he were in slow motion.

"_Riku!_" Sora and Kairi screamed, dropping to his side immediately. Kairi felt his forehead and withdrew her hand immediately.

"He's burning up!" she hissed. She pressed her hands to his chest and murmured a healing spell. A warm green light enveloped Riku's body and faded a moment later. Kairi felt his forehead again and winced at the lack of results. "He's still burning!"

"Try again!" Sora insisted. They both placed their hands on Riku's chest and cast another healing spelling. It still proved to be ineffective. "What do we do?" Despite Sora's earlier instruction to not panic, he was panicking.

"Help me get him to the couch," Kairi ordered. Together they lifted Riku to the couch in the parlor while Snow White ran to the linen closet and retrieved a blanket and pillow. Once he was lying down, Kairi got a bowl with cool water and a cloth for Riku's forehead. He was shivering despite the heat irradiating from his body.

"Cold…" he whispered, wrapping the blanket tightly around himself.

"We have to find an antidote," Kairi said to the others. "I'll go track down the operative and get some answers." She ran to the front door.

"Wait!" Sora called desperately. "Shouldn't we take him back to Disney Castle? Maybe they have something to help him!"

"You can't move him," Doc warned. "When we tried moving Sneezy, he got worse!"

"Keep him here," Kairi said. "I'll be back with a cure, I promise! Take care of him, Sora!" Sora nodded determinedly. And with that, Kairi was gone out the door in search of answers.

"I'll go to Disney Castle," Snow White whispered. "I'll bring back some advance healers." She sniffed quietly. "I'm so sorry, Sora and Riku! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

"It's okay…" Sora murmured. "How could you know?" Snow White bowed her head and left for Disney Castle via a Door to Light.

"I'm afraid I must get back," Doc said apologetically. "We have to prepare Sneezy's body for the funeral…" Sora nodded numbly, barely aware of anything or anyone that wasn't Riku. Doc bowed his head and left the room, leaving Sora all alone with a feverish Riku.

Sora squeezed his eyes shut tightly. This just couldn't be happening, he told himself. Not after what Sky told him about Riku dying in the future. Not after everything Sora went through to keep Riku safe only to have him poisoned unknowingly by their own ally. Sora's heartbeat increased. The reality of the situation was sinking in and he felt sick. If Kairi couldn't find a cure in time, Riku was going to die.

"Sora…?" Sora's ears perked up and he leaned in close next to Riku's face.

"I'm here," he whispered. Riku shivered again and cracked open one eye.

"I guess I shouldn't have rudely eaten that piece before Snow White got back…" He managed a weak grin. Sora's eyebrows rose slightly in the center in a slight frown as he returned Riku's smile.

"Manners…" he gently scolded. Riku chuckled low.

"Yeah, yeah…" Sora removed the cloth from Riku forehead, soaked it in the water and rung out the excess before replacing it back on the silver-head's forehead, soothingly wiping away the sweat from his brow.

"Is there anything I can get you?" There was the barest amount of trembling in Sora's voice.

"Water?" Sora nodded a little more enthusiastically than was actually necessary, but he didn't care. He was struggling internally between wanting to make Riku feel as comfortable as possible and not robbing him of his independence. He knew for a fact that the older boy hated being treated like an invalid. And after the brief argument they had in the Space Paranoids, he didn't want Riku to feel as though Sora were fussing over him and over-protecting him again.

Somehow, though, he knew whatever he did for Riku would be in vain. There really wasn't anything Sora could do for him until Kairi came back. But that wasn't going to stop him from at least trying.

Sora got up and went to the kitchen. Sitting on the counter was the offending pie. He regarded it with contempt. It was the reason Riku was feverishly sick and dying. Sora's eyes flashed dangerously. He fired a quick Fira spell at the dessert, turning it into nothing more than a pile of ashes. He watched the smoldering pile with a hint of satisfaction. He knew it wouldn't erase the poison in Riku's system, but it provided the tiniest bit of comfort in wake of the events unfolding.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. When he returned to the living room, he found Riku sleeping fitfully on his side, the cloth lying cold on the floor beside him. Sora sighed and bent to pick up the fallen cloth. He jumped slightly when Riku's hand latched onto his wrist.

"Riku?" Sora said, startled. The older teen groaned in his sleep. His grip did not loosen. "Riku, are you awake?" Riku's eyes snapped open.

"Wazzgoin' on?" he slurred before coming to his senses. He glanced at what his hand was holding and quickly removed it, blushing somewhat. "Sorry…" Sora pretended not to notice and handed Riku the cup of water. "I had the strangest dream. More like a nightmare, actually."

"Yeah?" Sora said, trying to act casual and joking. "What about? Someone trying to kill you or something?"

"No, more like I was trying to kill _you_." Sora went solemn and quiet. "It was like having an out-of-body experience, only I was in my own body watching myself trying to kill you with my Keyblade." It wasn't the most comforting thing Sora wanted to hear at the moment. He tried distracting himself with adjusting Riku's head cloth. "Just when I had you pinned, there was a flash of light and I woke up." Riku closed his eyes as he willed away his increasing headache. "I can't help thinking this is my subconscious carrying around the guilt I feel about…"

"Don't start," Sora warned. "Don't even go there. Whatever happened years ago is in the past." He pursed his lips and gently pressed the damp cloth against Riku's burning cheeks. The older teen opened his eyes.

"What if… it happens again?" Sora shook his head defiantly.

"It won't." Once the wet cloth was replaced on Riku's forehead, Sora sat against the side of the couch with his back to Riku. "Let me know if there's anything else I can get you." Riku nodded. It was silent for a little while.

"You look pale…" he said. Sora stirred and felt like laughing at the irony of that statement.

"You're one to talk."

"You're really worried… about me?"

"Well of course! You're my best friend! I didn't fight through thousands of Heartless and dozens of worlds just so I could lose you to a poisoned apple." Riku looked away.

"Sometimes I think I wasn't worth the effort."

"Don't say that. I'll decide what's worth my effort and what's not. _You_ are worth all the effort in the world."

oOoOo

Kairi jogged through the woods leading to the castle where the evil step-mother Queen Grimhilde lived. The sun had set by now and she was left in the twilight of the day with only the moon's light to guide her path through the forest. She arrived through the main gates, but the castle seemed almost abandoned. Surely there should have been guards, noblemen, or courtiers there. Kairi readied herself for anything. There was something ominous about this place. She walked through the deserted hallways of the castle, checking carefully around corners and watching her back. It was strange that there weren't even any peasants or servants wandering the halls. It was like Grimhilde knew Kairi was coming and had cleared out.

Eventually, she reached what she could only assume was the throne room. She checked along the bookshelves and behind the thrones, looking for some clue as to where everyone was. She came across a hidden hatch beneath the Queen's throne and pushed the lavish chair aside to get to it. Climbing down the ladder, she arrived in a dungeon-like cellar with beakers filled with bubbling green liquid and shelves with strange-titled books like "7 Uses of Ox Blood".

"This must be the Queen's secret lab," she whispered to herself.

"Quite right, dear," said a cackling voice. Kairi spun around and saw an old disfigured woman in rags emerge from the shadows. She seemed feeble, yet mysterious enough that Kairi kept her distance. Her outward image matched the description that Snow White had given. "What are you doing here?" Kairi narrowed her eyes.

"Are you the peddler who sold Snow White a batch of apples?" The old woman's eyes lit up with delight.

"Is she dead?" There was a tone of excitement and giddy anticipation in the old woman's voice that made Kairi angry and a little sick.

"You poisoned a friend of mine," she growled, summoning her True Heart Keyblade. "I want the cure now." The woman began laughing as a mist swirled around her. Her appearance changed into a younger woman wearing fine robes and jewelry. She almost looked human, if it weren't for her glowing yellow eyes and the smoky trails of darkness coming off her in waves. She smiled cruelly.

"You really didn't think I'd just let you walk out of here with my secrets, did you?" the queen Heartless said mockingly.

oOoOo

Sora watched Riku toss and turn in his sleep. It had been an hour since Kairi left looking for a cure. Riku's condition was worsening. He mumbled every now and again that he was too hot or too cold and Sora did his best to accommodate.

"My chest…" Riku groaned as he slowly drifted back into consciousness. "It hurts…" He gripped his shirt tightly. His breaths were coming in as short gasps. Sora frowned, unsure how to help. He pressed his hands on top of Riku's and murmured a healing spell. They were surrounded by a soft glow for a moment.

"Does that help at all?" he asked. Riku nodded vaguely.

"It dulls the pain…" He sighed, relaxing a little. "It's like every time I breathe in, something is stabbing me from the inside."

"Let me hear…" Sora sat up a tiny bit and leaned forward, pressing the side of his head against Riku's chest. He hated to admit it, especially now considering the circumstances, but it was rather nice laying the way he was atop Riku, almost cuddling against him. But Sora had to mentally slap himself for ever thinking such a thing. 'Wrong time, wrong place.' He listened to Riku's sharp breaths, hoping to catch something amiss. It took a moment to properly ignore the loud thumping of Riku's racing heart – 'I wonder if that has anything to do with the poison' – and focus on the tiny rattling noise that corresponded to every breath that Riku tried to catch.

"I can hear something…"

"Really?" Sora could have sworn he heard Riku's voice crack ever so slightly.

"Yeah, it's like something is rattling around in there. But I don't know for sure. I'm not a healer…" Sora sat up reluctantly, leaving Riku's warmth. "Sorry I can't be more helpful."

"I'm just glad you're here…" Riku smiled at Sora in a way that made the brunette melt a little inside.

"No prob." Riku turned on his side.

"I'm… I'm a little scared…" The weakness in Riku's voice was so strange and foreign, it make Sora instinctively take his hand.

"Everything's gonna be okay. I promise." Riku smiled at Sora sweet words and allowed himself to drift back into a restless sleep.

oOoOo

Kairi only had a moment to prepare herself when the evil queen fired some kind of dark energy at her. She cast Aeroga and leapt over the blast, using the winds around her to proper herself over the queen. Landing behind Grimhilde, Kairi struck out with her Keyblade. The Heartless spun around and deflected the attack with another blast of dark energy. She backhanded Kairi, sending the younger girl stumbling backwards into a bookshelf. A cold smile appeared on the queen's face as she created a sword that appeared to be aflame with black fire. Kairi wiped away the blood from her freshly-split lip and ran forward again.

Their swords clashed violently. Back and forth, they parried attack after attack. Kairi forced her blade to slide across Grimhilde's sword right to the hilt, twisting both swords and sending them flying in opposite directions. The two women made a quick glance at their fallen swords, a glance at each other, and back at the swords. Grimhilde made a move to retrieve her sword, but Kairi dove at Grimhilde before the queen could get to it and landed a few solid hits on Grimhilde's beautiful face.

They exchanged fists for a few minutes until Grimhilde tossed Kairi off her. The older woman grabbed a few vials of bubbling liquid and threw them at Kairi. Kairi dodged the first two but the third impacted against her arm, glass shattering and imbedding shards into her skin while the green liquid scorched. She cried out in pain, gripping her arm tightly. Grimhilde used the momentary distraction to grab her flaming sword and attack once more. Kairi caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and cast Blizzana at the sword, snuffing out the flames temporarily, giving herself enough time to heal her arm.

Grimhilde relit the dark flames of her sword only to be knocked down by a blast of pure light. Kairi panted heavily, her auburn locks falling haphazardly in front of her eyes. She held her arm up and summoned her Keyblade back to her hand, then she ran at the queen, pushing her against the lab table in the middle of the room, holding her down by her neck with her Keyblade.

"Tell me how to cure him!" she demanded, pressing the blade down dangerously against Grimhilde's throat. That evil smirk was back on the queen's face.

"And what makes you think I'll just _tell_ you?" she drawled. Kairi was about to point out the weapon threatening her life when suddenly, she was thrown backwards by an invisible force. There was a strong wind blowing through the lab as Grimhilde stood up straight and flexed her arms. Her appearance seemed to ripple and flicker, changing shape and growing larger. Kairi took an involuntary step back, shielding her face from flying bits of debris. When the wind died down, instead of a beautiful queen, Kairi was now facing a monstrous Heartless creature, covered almost entirely in shadow. It had long sharp fingers and large glowing eyes glaring down at Kairi. The redhead could only gape.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall," Grimhilde sneered in an inhuman voice. "Which of us will lose this brawl?"

oOoOo

"This is fate, isn't it?" Riku murmured. Sora stirred out of his quiet thinking session at the sound of Riku's voice.

"What do you mean?" he replied. Riku shivered a little as he drew his blanket a little tighter around himself.

"You told me I was dead in Sky's future. Maybe it's my destiny to die." Sora made a 'tch' noise at that comment.

"Whatever! Don't be stupid! We control our own fates."

"It's funny for a child of the Destiny Islands to be talking about free will and controlling our own fates. We've been tied to destinies since day one. How do we know this isn't mine the same way it's _your_ destiny to wield the Keyblade of light?"

"That was _your destiny_, remember?"

"No, my destiny was to fall into darkness." Sora was about to counter that statement with 'You chose to fall into darkness' but stopped himself just in time. Somehow, he felt it would have been the equivalent of slapping Riku across the face. Maybe this was Riku's way of evading the truth behind his decision to let darkness be his path. If he lied to himself and said it was simply fate, it lifted the responsibility of his choice off his shoulders and transferred it to a made-up invisible omnipresent being that controlled the strings of fate across the universe. Then he wouldn't feel so guilty about what he did. And by accepting his fate to die, he could accept it as a suitable punishment for betraying his friends.

"I don't believe that…" Sora whispered finally. "And I don't believe you're going to die, either. Not if I have anything to say about it. Besides, whatever happened in Sky's future doesn't matter anymore. Everything changed the day we were attacked. It's all different from here on out."

"How'd it happen, anyway?" The question caught Sora off-guard.

"The attack? Pintel was-"

"No, how'd I die? In the future? It must've been pretty bad if it got Sky all worked up." There was a noticeable pause as Sora debated whether or not to tell Riku the truth.

"H-heartless ambush. I'm guessing the Pintel from that timeline sold us out and the Heartless were waiting for you and your team on Port Royal." He shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. Riku quietly absorbed this new information.

"At least I'm going out a little quieter this time."

"Don't say that!" Sora snapped, standing up. "Why do you have to be so morbid sometimes? You only had _one_ bite of that pie!"

"It's been hours! I've only been getting worse! I'm lucky to have lasted this long!" Riku started coughing, placing a towel to his mouth. When he pulled the towel back, it had spots of blood. Sora's eyes widened at the sight. "Cut the sugar-coating," Riku groaned. "I'm going to die…" Sora sat back down and gently took Riku's hand. He leaned in close to be sure that Riku would hear every word.

"You're not going to die," he said with a tone of determination. "You need to fight this fever! Just give Kairi a bit more time. She'll be back any moment now with a cure!"

oOoOo

Kairi collapsed on the ground with a grunt as the wind was knocked out of her.

Before she could catch her breath, the creature grabbed her by her auburn locks and lifted her off the ground. She swung her Keyblade desperately at Grimhilde, blinded by the sheer pain burning across her scalp, but the wicked queen was just out of arm's reach. Kairi switched to attacking the arm that Grimhilde was using to hold Kairi in place, but her blade seemed to have no affect. It was almost as if the arm were made from an impenetrable metal.

Grimhilde retrieved her discarded sword from the floor and readied it to slice Kairi in two. Kairi gasped and in a final effort, she turned her Keyblade on herself, using it to cut off the hair trapping her in place. She ducked under the dark blade as it soared over her head and rolled to avoid Grimhilde's second attack. The pure-hearted princess jumped back to her feet with a sense of grace and warrior-like ferocity. She was overcome with a great fury unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her best friend was dying and it was taking too long to get the information she needed for the cure.

Kairi let out a sharp shout of anger. Her Keyblade seemed to light up with a golden light, shimmering with untapped energy. She took this opportunity to Drive into her Final Form, letting the adrenaline of the battle fuel her power. Her pink dress turned silver and her eyes flickered gold for a moment. She fired the charged energy at Grimhilde, striking the queen with the full blast, knocking Grimhilde off her feet. Before she could recover, Kairi impaled the Heartless to the ground, keeping her from moving and keeping her alive at the same time.

"How do I cure him?" the redhead demanded harshly. She was in no mood for games. The Heartless queen gasped and choked. "Tell me how to cure him! Now!" Sensing her time was almost up, the queen began laughing cruelly. She sputtered and choked again. In a last ditch effort to sabotage Kairi's attempts to find an antidote, Grimhilde tossed her burning sword at the nearest bookshelf. The books caught fire immediately. "No!" Kairi aimed her Keyblade at the fire and put it out with a Blizzard attack, but not before many of the books were scorched from the flames. In the time it took to do that, Grimhilde's life slipped away before Kairi could do anything to stop it. Her form began dissolving back into the darkness as her heart shard rose above her former body. Kairi watched on in despair. Her last chance to save her friend was gone.

oOoOo

"What if there is no cure?" Riku whispered in a quivering voice. "What if Kairi doesn't find anything?"

"She will. Every problem has a solution if you look hard enough." Sora was trying his hardest not to show his overwhelming fear. "Listen to me," he pressed on. "You're going to make it through this. Just hold on, please!" His hands were shaking as his grip on Riku's hands became tighter.

"I'm trying…" Riku replied, his voice barely audible. "I'm just so tired…" Sora squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to think of a way to keep Riku fighting the effects of the poison.

"Hey, remember that one time when we were kids, we tried staying up till dawn?" Riku smiled at the memory.

"Yeah… We drank a ton of cola and ate like three bags of candy…"

"And played video games till my mom banged on my door telling us to go to bed." The two boys started laughing at the memory. "I started falling asleep and you teased me that I was a baby and I'd never make it to dawn."

"But we did… We lasted until dawn. Just barely…"

"Exactly. You kept me awake that one time. So now I'm returning the favor. Stay awake a little longer. Stay with me!" Sora pressed a hand to Riku's cheek. Riku was struggling to keep his eyes open. His bangs were sticking to his forehead and his face was slick with sweat, despite Sora's best efforts to wipe his face with the cool towel. Riku was drifting back into a feverish sleep.

"Gorgeous eyes…" he murmured, half awake. "Dance with me?" Sora sputtered slightly. Riku was delirious.

"S-sure, Riku, just stay awake!"

"You don't mean it…" Riku's eyes suggested he wasn't completely there at the moment. "Please don't let it be a lie… Not now…"

"I promise! We'll dance! But you need to stay with me until Kairi gets back!" Sora glared at the front door, willing it to open and growling when it didn't. "Dammit, Kairi, where are you?"

oOoOo

Kairi wanted to scream and shout like a child throwing a temper tantrum. What could she do now? Many of the spell books in the lab were destroyed. The lab table had been overturned during the battle and any incomplete potions were now lying in ruins, glass and liquids strewn out across the floor. No one else knew what kind of magic Grimhilde had used. The adrenaline of the battle wore off quickly, her Drive Form fading away, and Kairi was left with an empty feeling inside. She had failed.

"I'm so sorry, Riku…" she whispered to the air. She looked up to the window of the dark dungeon where the moonlight was streaming through. Running her eyes across the ruined books on the shelves and the different magic items on the floor, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there were answers still hidden in the room. It didn't matter that much anymore anyway, since much of it was wrecked. She walked around, tracing her fingers delicately across the ash and sooty surfaces of books, cauldrons, and burnt-out candlesticks.

Kairi's heart sped up. There was a book sitting under an empty cauldron on the floor. It looked relatively undamaged and recently used. She opened it to where a bookmark had marked a page. On that page was a drawing of an apple and a list of ingredients next to it. Her eyes went wide.

oOoOo

"I get one last request, right?" the older teen asked, his voice quiet and his words somewhat slurred. Sora grew confused. "I mean, if this is my last moments alive, you gotta grant me a last request. Am I right?" Sora frowned, fighting off his tears.

"And if I refuse?" Refuse to accept his death.

"You won't." Sora stared into Riku's eyes, trying to read him but unable to do so. His bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. He closed his eyes slowly, inadvertently forcing a tear to push through.

"What's your request?" Riku freed one of his hands from Sora's grip and placed it gently on Sora's face. He took a few deep, steadying breaths. His fingertips were frozen to the touch, nearly causing Sora to flinch away, but he resisted. This was important. These were Riku's last words. Sora let a choking sob escape. The next words spoken made his heart stop for a moment.

"Kiss me?" Sora's eyes went wide and his face was pale. He must've misheard. Riku was hallucinating. A million and one excuses raced through his head at once. This couldn't possibly be Riku's last request.

"W-what?" He needed to confirm it. He needed to know if what he heard was real.

"Please…" That slight whimper, the trembling in his voice, the vulnerability, all of it made Sora's heart break. "Just kiss me…" Riku's expression was still and patient with just a hint of anxiety. He waited for a reaction. Waited for a response. Waited for _something_ from Sora besides a questioning stare. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to ask such a thing. But considering Riku's current situation, it was all he had left. And after everything they had said in the last hour, he thought the time was right to ask.

oOoOo

Kairi burst forth from the former Queen's secret lab at top speeds, not bothering to navigate the hallways of the castle. Instead, she found the nearest window and smashed it out, jumping through to the closest rooftop. From there, she used Glide to get to ground level safely and began running full tilt towards the gates and into the forest beyond.

She sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her, darting under low branches and leaping over rocks and roots, desperate to get back to Snow White's villa. The cure was so simple and straightforward, but it had to be done soon. Riku was only lucky that he had only eaten one bite. At least Kairi hoped he was lucky and that he was still alive. According to the spell book she had lifted from the ex-Queen, had Riku consumed the entire poisoned apple, he would have died almost instantly.

Kairi cried out when she nearly tripped over a protruding tree root. She instinctively cast Aeroga to keep from falling on her face and continued racing along.

"Hold on, Riku!" The cottage was within sight.

oOoOo

Sora came to his senses. It wasn't a good idea. Somehow, he felt as though if he kissed Riku, he'd be taking advantage of the sick teen in his delirious state. But his heart told him it was the right thing to do. The emotion swimming through Riku's eyes told him everything he ever wanted to know. Struggling to smile, he nodded. That simple gesture changed everything between them in an instant.

Sora brushed away Riku's sweat-drenched bangs so he could see Riku's sea-green eyes clearly. He leaned down, closing the gap between their faces. He could feel Riku's warm breath on his lips before they even connected.

"I…" Sora whispered on Riku's lips. "I love you." And finally, he placed his lips on Riku's, projecting such passion into that one single kiss. In that moment, they felt each other's entire range of emotions, the fear of loss, the warmth of love, and the comfort of each other's embrace. Riku's eyes slipped closed.

And then, several things occurred at once in the span of 3 seconds.

Sora felt the strongest fluttering sensation in his heart that he had ever felt in his entire life. It felt like his heart would burst, and yet, there was no pain.

Riku gasped into the kiss, feeling a similar sensation in his chest. All trace of pain was removed at once as he felt a golden warmth fill his entire being.

And finally, they were interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open and heavy footsteps barging in.

"SORA, YOU NEED TO KISS HIM!!" Kairi screamed, collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. Sora and Riku stared at her, wide-eyed, silent, and still caught in a lip-lock. She stared back at them, breathing heavily, and then, oddly enough, started to giggle. Sora was finally drawn out of his stupor and shyly pulled out of his kiss with Riku while Riku sat up, blinking.

"Kairi, you want to tell me just what's going on?" Sora asked as calmly as he could while blushing intensely.

"The cure…" Kairi whispered, her voice struggling to find volume. "The cure was true love's kiss." Realization washed over Sora's face and his mouth formed an 'oh' shape. He looked back at Riku. The silver-haired teen already looked much better. The red color on his cheeks was a very good sign of life. Sora looked back at Kairi, still a little confused.

"So how did you know…?"

"That you were Riku's true love?" She sat up, brushing her hair back as she caught her breath. "You two are my best friends. I just know these things."

"And you're… okay with it?" Kairi beamed, crossing the room and giving her boys a crushing hug.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she laughed, relieved that everything was going to be okay after all.

The three teens were interrupted by a Door to Light appearing in the middle of the room. Snow White emerged, followed by four healers dressed in white and King Mickey, Yen Sid, and Donald. They all had varying degrees of panic on their faces.

"Is he still alive?" Snow White cried, her eyes still glossy with unshed tears. "Please tell me he's still alive!" She failed to notice Riku's alert, wide-open eyes upon her first glance at the group hug and took it as a sign of the worst. "Oh no!" Before she could break down again, Riku pushed his two friends off him and stood up.

"No, no!" he exclaimed, rushing to Snow White's side. "I'm fine! Look!" He did a quick turn to demonstrate his state of living. "I'm cured!" Snow White wiped away her tears and began laughing with relief and joy, taking Riku into her arms and hugging him.

"Oh thank goodness!" she cried. "I'm so sorry for everything!"

"It's okay!" Riku's voice came out as a muffle. Snow White pulled back, looking him over like a worried mother.

"You still look a little sickly. I'll go put on a pot of tea." She left for the kitchen and paused at the doorway. "And I'll check for suspicious items this time!" Sora and Kairi rolled their eyes. Snow White was learning.

"So I guess we're not needed…?" Donald grumbled unhappily from the side, folding his arms.

"Yeah, what took you so long?" Sora joked, poking the grumpy duck. "If it weren't for Kairi, Riku would be dead by now."

"It wasn't me-" Kairi tried to explain, but Sora subtly jabbed her in the side to keep her quiet.

"Sorry, fellas," Mickey explained. "We were doing research in Yen Sid's tower. Doc was kind enough to let us have a look at Sneezy's body so we could study the poison, but all our attempts to create an antidote failed."

"We finally decided to all come here and see if our combined magical arts would do the trick," Yen Sid said. "But it would seem you already found a solution."

"So what was the cure?" Mickey asked excitedly. There was a quiet shuffle as Riku and Sora attempted to casually hide their blushes while coming up with a suitable lie. While all the men in the room failed to notice it, Kairi picked it up immediately.

"A kiss," she said. "I kissed his cheek. He woke up." Yen Sid nodded as if everything made sense now.

"I see," he said as he stroked his beard. "Ancient magic. Human contact on an intimate level, especially with one of pure heart, can result in the greatest of miracles." Out of the corner of Kairi's eye, unseen by the others, Sora was giving her a grateful smile. It wasn't that either of the two young men were embarrassed by what had happened, it was just that they wanted to be spared the awkwardness of explaining it to three 'old-timers'. They were still sorting it out themselves.

"So how 'bout you fellas finish up your visit here," Mickey suggested. "We'll see you back at the castle when you're done." Sora, Riku, and Kairi nodded. King Mickey and the rest made their exits.

"You owe me," Kairi said, rounding on Sora. "Big time!"

"Name your price," Sora countered.

"I want a pony!" They dissolved into giggles. "Seriously, though, you owe me a chocolate sundae. With walnuts."

"Done."

"I don't understand," Snow White said as she brought in a tray with teacups on it. "Who owes whom what for what now?" The confused look on Snow White's face was enough to cause all three teens to burst into fits of laughter again, furthering Snow White's confusion. "What?"

oOoOo

A/N: Another longish chapter. So what'd you think? Sora and Riku finally hooked up! Yay! And Kairi got to kick some serious ass! I was basically looking for an excuse to give Kairi some action time _and_ have a scene where her hair gets chopped off, giving way to a sweet pixie haircut. ^^

Just so we're clear, I started writing this long before Birth By Sleep and 358/2 were announced, so there's bound to be discrepancies between this story and actual canon, such as world names, explanations concerning the heart and Heartless, and info concerning Maleficent. I hope you'll forgive this.Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated, as always, because it lets me know whether or not you guys are actually enjoying this drivel. Kthxbi!


	12. Chapter 12: Battle of Dragon Darkness

**A/N: **I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this story! But now it's time to get a little more serious. I would like you to note something for later in this chapter. If you don't want to be spoiled, then skip this Author's Note and proceed to reading the chapter. However, if you would like a little bit of easy listening to help you read, then may I suggest Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. Queue it up in whatever format you have it in (be it CD, MP3, or Youtube) and when you see (**music**),let it play. Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 12: The Battle of Dragon Darkness

Lieutenant Ling was a slim, light-footed man who followed his orders more or less. It was his turn to patrol the mountainside near the base where the Dragon Warriors were training. There were several dozen soldiers positioned all around the Land of Dragon's base to ensure no enemy Heartless ambushed them or attacked without warning. Ling was taking his shift currently, but at the moment, he would have preferred to be back at the base where it was warm. The temperature had dropped significantly in the last few weeks. Patrol soldiers weren't allowed to wear heavy amounts of insulation (in other words, a nice winter coat) because if in the event they _were_ attacked, they wouldn't be able to maneuver as quickly to alert the others.

Ling was pacing back and forth around to stay warm, less focused on his task and more focused on keeping the feeling in his toes and fingers. He paused when he spotted something dark in the distance. It stood out like a sore thumb across the nearly blinding white snow. Ling grew concerned. He wondered vaguely if he should report his findings to someone higher up in the chain of command. But the little dark figure darted out of sight and Ling made up his mind to investigate it himself. He figured there was no point in alarming the higher-ups over nothing.

Ling abandoned his post, wandering to the edge of the snowy ravine. He tracked the figure across the rocky snowdrifts. Around the base of a mountain cliff edge, he saw the little dark spot skitter away. The way it moved suggested it was a Heartless. Ling did not like that fact, however, he figured it was just one little creature - one of the lowest ranking Heartless in the enemy's ranks - so dispatching it would be no problem.

The shadow Heartless slipped through a small opening in the cliff wall, disappearing into the mountain's inner caves. Ling paused at the entrance, cautiously checking his surroundings. He would have never noticed this crack in the wall before. What was a lone Heartless doing around there anyway? It was indeed odd that anything or anyone would be out in the middle of nowhere by itself. Something strange was afoot. Ling wasn't sure whether he should turn back now. Steeling his resolve, he squeezed through the opening.

The other side was a smooth polished white hallway, well-lit from an unseen light source, like the inside of a great palace. Ling could only gape at the architecture. How could no one have known about this? At the other end of the long hallway was a great set of double doors. The little Heartless was just slipping through and the doors closed behind it. Ling crept quietly to the door and opened it a crack, peeking through.

The inside was a vast white marble room, at least the size of a several stadiums, crawling with Heartless. In the center was an archway of sorts on top of a raised platform. The archway seemed to come alive, flickering as a dark portal opened beneath its arches. A small collection of Neo-Heartless emerged. Ling stifled a gasp. The Heartless were building an army right there in the Land of Dragons, right under their noses. He backed away quickly as though the door burned him. He had to warn the others.

As quietly as when he first arrived, Ling slipped out of the underground base and ran as fast as he could back to his own camp.

oOoOo

"A what?" King Mickey shouted, standing up abruptly from his chair.

"A gateway, Your Majesty," Commander Mulan replied, remaining calm. "Like a powerful Door to Darkness."

"Like the doors to Kingdom Hearts…" Mickey murmured, sitting down once more. "But how?"

"I'm unsure. All we know is there is a great army building on my world. We request reinforcements to neutralize this threat." Mickey noted sadly that Mulan had toughened up significantly since the death of her husband Shang. She had lost all signs of the sweet innocent girl she once was. Shaking his head clear, he returned to the matter at hand.

"Granted. I need to investigate this gateway myself and see what we're up against." Mulan bowed and left the Disney Castle command center. King Mickey turned his back on the door and began pacing, racking his brain for information. What could it all mean? Did Maleficent somehow discover a way to open the doors to Kingdom Hearts without the need of the pure hearts?

It didn't matter. If it was a gateway, a Keyblade could lock it. He retrieved the files that Mulan left behind, detailing information about the mountain where the Heartless base was.

oOoOo

The courtyard of Disney Castle lit up slightly as a Door to Light opened and three figures stepped out, laughing merrily about whatever had been said a moment ago. They were just finishing their overnight visit with Snow White. Sky was waiting for them. He wore his usual serious expression. Upon seeing him, the merriment ceased among the three teens. Sky was about to state his intentions when his eyes flickered to the redhead.

"What happened to your hair?" he asked slowly, confused. Riku and Sora glanced at Kairi, noticing for the first time that anything was different about her hair. Kairi looked around, as if expecting someone else with strangely-cut hair to appear. She self-consciously fiddled with her new short tresses.

"It was holding me back," she said simply, smiling shyly. "So I cut it off." Sky cocked an eyebrow.

"Good enough." He went back to addressing his original point. "We got a meeting in ten minutes."

"Did Pintel say anything useful?" Sora piped up.

"Believe me, I've been keeping track, and no, he hasn't. This is something else." Sky turned and walked away with Kairi following closely behind. Riku and Sora hung back a little.

"We'll catch up," Sora said to Kairi just before she could question why they were walking so slowly.

A few moments later, the two boys were alone and an awkward silence descended upon them. Sora scratched the back of his head. Riku pretended to find something fascinating about the clouds overhead.

"We should… uh…." Sora started slowly. "I guess we should talk. About… y'know… stuff…"

"Yeah…" Riku agreed, not needing to be told what the 'stuff' Sora was referring to. They hadn't had a proper moment to talk about it since the kiss had occurred the night before. Despite Sora's statement and Riku's agreement, they didn't talk. They shuffled, they fidgeted, they shifted from foot to foot, but they didn't really talk. A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, tousling their hair. Sora's eyes followed a line of ants crawling across the concrete tile floor. Finally, Riku broke the silence. "Did… did you mean what you said…? Back in the cottage?" Sora drew a blank.

"Which part?" he questioned. Riku hesitated, looking away.

"You know… the part where you said… you loved me." Another moment of silence dragged on, but this one wasn't awkward, it was incredulous shock on Sora's part. Then he started laughing. Riku was less than amused.

"You're kidding, right?" Sora chuckled, trying to catch his breath. "If I didn't love you, then how do you think that true love kiss thing worked?" Riku's annoyed look disappeared. "Exactly!"

"Sorry…" the older teen said, scuffing his sneakers on the ground. "I guess I just wasn't expecting you to…return my feelings…" He glanced up through his long bangs, smiling a little, and for a moment, Sora saw all his insecurities, but they vanish in the blink of a green eye. The brunette walked forward and wrapped his arms around Riku in a warm hug.

"You really had no idea?" Riku shook his head. "God, we're such idiots."

"Huge idiots." Brief laughter ensued for a few seconds. "So does this mean we're…" There was a struggle to find the right term. "Together?" Sora snuggled a little closer to Riku, standing on the tips of his toes just to his nose would brush against Riku's.

"What do you think?" Sora wanted there to be no doubt. They were so close now, just a breath away from closing the gap between their lips, but naturally they were interrupted by Sky's overly harsh voice.

"What the hell is taking you two so long?" he shouted from the stairs leading out of the courtyard. "You're running late! Get your asses in gear!" He clapped his hands together very loudly, causing the two teens to spring apart from each other. "Move, move, move!" Riku and Sora made a dash for the stairs. "Not so fast, mini-me!" Sky grabbed Sora by the shoulder. Riku stopped as well. "I didn't say 'Riku'! Now piss off! FUCK!" Riku jumped once more, shot Sora a quick apologetic look, and quickly left.

"Et tu, Brutus?" Sora shouted after Riku's retreating form. Once they were alone, Sky rounded on Sora and the teen shrank back, expecting to be hit or something.

Instead, Sky grinned. "You finally hooked up?" Sora cracked open one eye, surprised he wasn't receiving a beat-down.

"Uh…" It took a moment for Sky's words to sink in. "Yeah…" Sky gave Sora a hearty shake.

"Nicely done. Took ya long enough." The hearty shake turned into a rough shove as Sky steered Sora up the stairs and down the open hallway. "So what exactly happened at Snow White's place?"

Sora groaned just thinking about it. "Riku was poisoned. We both thought he was gonna die, so he asked me to kiss him, which turned out to be cure." Sky stopped walking abruptly.

"You're serious?" The good-humour was gone from his voice. "You waited until he was on his _death bed_ to tell him how you felt?" Before Sora knew what was happening, he was in a headlock receiving a very painful noogie. "You're a fuckin' joke! I told you not to wait!"

"There weren't any perfect moments before yesterday!" Sora protested.

"Don't give me that shit. I'm sure there were plenty of opportunities, but you were too much of a coward to take them!"

"Well what about you?" Sora asked suddenly, trying to toss Sky off him with little success. "Did you ever tell your Riku how you felt?" Sky froze as he turned slightly pink and sputtered a little.

"I, uh…" He scratched the back of his head carefully, releasing Sora from the headlock. "Well… I went on a mission and one of my teammates was killed. I guess word got back to Disney Castle that someone in my group was dead, but the name wasn't released. I was sent straight to the infirmary for a check-up and debriefing, so I didn't see Riku for nearly two hours. When he found me, he was freaking out. He thought I was the one who had been killed and he was a total wreck. I calmed him down sorta, but he ended up blurting out that he loved me and, well…" Sky turned away, somewhat embarrassed. "He…kissed me." It seemed as though there were more to that story, but Sky wasn't telling.

"There you go!" Sora shouted, as if his point were somehow validated. Then he grew confused by something. "Hey, wait a second! If you knew we loved each other and could have hooked up before, then why were you so insistent that we train separately from each other? Why keep us apart and then complain to me later that I was wasting time we could've had together?"

"I…" Sky looked properly guilty for once. "I guess I was being stupid. The road to hell really _is_ paved with good intentions." He began pacing up and down the wide hallways as he launched into an explanation. "I couldn't remember the exact time frame when I started developing real feelings for Riku. Or at least, I couldn't remember exactly when I became aware of them. When I noticed you becoming more…distracted by Riku, I became aware that the time was coming soon, so I wanted to protect you. I figured if I kept you two apart… I'd save you a lot of pain and grief, in case anything were to happen to either one of you. Believe me, that bullshit about whether it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all is a load of crap. There have been many times when I wished I had never fallen in love with Riku. It would have made his death less painful on me."

"You had no right," Sora whispered, holding back his anger. "It was my decision. _My_ life!"

"I know that!" Sky snapped back. "I realize my mistake now! I should've never interfered. It's not like it made a difference in the end. But it did remind me that the little time I had with Riku was the best time of my life. And it's not my place to rob someone else of their happiness. I'm sorry." A silence hung over the two like a shroud. The angry look on Sora's face eventually dissolved back into his regular happy smile.

"Apology accepted!" He bounded towards the doors leading to the command centre. "C'mon, don't we have a meeting to attend? I bet Riku thinks I'm dead by now! Let's go!" Sky's lips twitched into what could only be described as a near-miss smile.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. And Sora?" Sora paused at the doorway, looking back at Sky. "I'm happy for you. Really. But if you're _ever_ late for a meeting again, I'll beat the living shit outta ya." Sky patted Sora on the back as he walked through the door, leaving a very pale and nervous Sora standing on the threshold.

"…Great."

oOoOo

"Hey fellas! Thank you for coming here on such short notice," King Mickey announced at the front podium to a large crowd of commanders. Behind him was a large blank screen awaiting to have a slide presentation projected on it. Sitting in chairs in front of him were Commander Mulan, her advisors, and other world representatives such as Aladdin, Hercules, and Leon. Three seats were empty. "I'd like to get started immediately-" Mickey was interrupted by the sound of the back doors slamming open, followed by heavy footsteps and loud breathing. Riku stumbled his way to the front, apologizing between huffs, and finding his seat next to Kairi. Mickey frowned slightly, but continued on. "Yes, as I was saying-" Another loud slamming door interrupted the small king. Sora and Sky jogged lightly to the empty seats next to Riku, bowing their heads in a request for forgiveness. Mickey rolled his eyes but otherwise said nothing of it. "I called you all here because of the threat on the Land of Dragons."

Mickey clicked a button on the podium and the first slide appeared on the screen showing a picture of a snowy mountain. "We have evidence that the enemy is building an army of Heartless underneath this small mountain a few miles away from our own base there. Based on the photos Lieutenant Ling was able to take, we have reason to believe they have a means of summoning Neo-Heartless from their own version of Kingdom Hearts." Mickey clicked the next slide on, showing a photo of the inside the mountain base. There were hundreds of thousands of Heartless swarming a large stone gateway. Sora and Riku were jolted into alertness.

"Kingdom Hearts?" they shouted. "How?"

"We're not sure," Mickey admitted.

"Can't say I've ever seen anything like this in my time," Sky added. "Although it would explain a few things…"

"We don't know exactly what it is, but we know it's a Door to Darkness and a Keyblade should be able to take care of it. It's the number of Heartless we're worried about. There's far too many for a small assault team to take on alone. So we're sending in ten thousand of our best soldiers for their first real mission." There was a low murmur over the group as they discussed this plan of action.

"Seems pretty straight-forward to me," Sora murmured to his friends. "Get in, take out the Heartless, close the gateway, get out." He knew from experience that he could easily take on at least a thousand Heartless himself and his friends were more than capable of doing the same. "Let's go for it!"

"Agreed," said Sky. "When do we move out?"

"As soon as possible," Mulan replied. "We need to stop them before they can mount a full-scale invasion on my people."

"So… in a couple hours then?" There were a number of nods and murmurs of approval.

"Commanders," Mickey announced. "Go through your ranks and find your best soldiers for the mission. You move out in two hours."

oOoOo

The quiet, snow-covered landscape of the Land of Dragons was disturbed when a couple dozen Doors to Light were opened. Thousands of men and women wearing armor and bearing swords and other weaponry walked through from beyond, forming ranks at the base of the mountain. Leading them at the front were Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Behind the trio were the commanding officers from ten different worlds – Princess Kida, Alice, the young King Arthur of Camelot, the fox Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Aries formerly known as Beast, Aladdin, Leon, Hercules, and Commander Mulan – each followed by a thousand troops of their own. The scene was tense and silent with just a hint of anxiety.

It was colder than anticipated. Colder than when Lieutenant Ling had first discovered the dark gateway. The immense presence of Heartless was the cause. Sora shivered, his breath hanging in the air briefly. He didn't think to dress warmly for this battle. No one really did. But it wouldn't matter once the battle got started and everyone got moving.

Sora had never commanded an army before in his life. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. He wondered vaguely how Sky had grown accustomed to people expecting him to lead them and give orders. Had it taken months or years to get use to it? Was he even used to it at all?

"Squad A!" he barked, settling back into reality and turning to the assembled soldiers. A vast majority of the soldiers assigned as Squad A stood at attention. "You'll be coming in the mountain with us. Squad B! Outside as back-up reinforcements under Kairi's command." In a hushed voice, he said to Kairi, "We'll radio you if we need your help. You do likewise if anything happens out here while we're inside. First sign of losing control over the situation, pull out. I mean it! No unnecessary deaths today."

"Got it," Kairi said with a quick nod.

Sora turned back to the army. "We'll only have a few minutes to take advantage of the element of surprise once we blow a hole in the side of the mountain to get in, so every second counts. Remember your training! Protega! Heal! Keep yourselves and your fellow soldiers safe!" He paused, looking out among the soldiers to ensure they were getting his point. Once satisfied, he turned to Riku. "On three, we fire at that opening there." He pointed to the crack in the cliff wall that Lieutenant Ling had first discovered. Riku nodded. "One… Two…" Sora held his breath for a fraction of a second and for that fraction, he felt more nervous than ever. "THREE!"

With a crackle of magic and the intense heat of a double Firana attack, the crack exploded into a huge opening about 100 feet wide. The ground shook dangerously, causing everyone to pause for a moment. It took a few agonizingly-long seconds for the shaking to stop. Sora suddenly feared the chance of an avalanche. But considering they all knew how to create a Door to Light, making a quick escape wouldn't be a problem.

"Squad A, move out!" Sora shouted, waving towards the opening. The army marched through.

Inside, the polished white hallway was now charred black from the explosion. Sora took in his surroundings quickly, assessing the threat level. Just beyond were the double doors leading to the grand room where the dark gateway would be. Sora held his Oblivion at the ready, expecting small portals to start forming all around him, but nothing happened. He grew concerned. They ventured further into the mountain until Sora and Riku were standing directly in front of the doors. Sora grasped the handle of one and Riku grabbed the other. In a silent countdown, they wrenched open the door and ran through with their Keyblades charged, their army close behind. But something and nothing happened at once.

The something was Sora's Keyblade suddenly disappearing against his will. The nothing was the lack of Heartless in the room.

Sora came to a crashing halt the moment he felt the comforting weight of his weapon vanish from his hands, his mind reeling in shock. Panic set in.

"What the hell's going on here?" He tried summoning it back, but all he could manage were little sparks of white magic. He instinctive tried to produce a Protega barrier around himself, anticipating a battle, but even that wouldn't work.

"What?" Riku asked, noticing Sora's predicament.

"My Keyblade…" Sora tried several more times to bring his Keyblade back into the real world, but nothing happened. "I can't summon it! I can't even do any magic!" Riku's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Sora felt an ominous dark weight settling over him, suppressing his light. There was something about this room. Something was holding back his light. All around him, soldiers were experiencing similar problems. All except Riku, who's Keyblade remained in his hand. He looked just as surprised by that.

"We should pull back," he said. "I don't like this at all."

"You guys," Leon piped up, looking around. "Where is everyone?" Riku's suggestion went unheeded as Sora's mind was already moving on to assess their other concern – the complete and utter lack of enemies. Where were the hundreds of thousands of Heartless that were supposed to be crawling all over the place? Sora's eyes scanned the whole room, but it was completely abandoned. All that remained to suggest they were ever there was their dark gateway sitting in the middle of the vast room, inactive and collecting dust.

"Maybe they knew we were coming…" he murmured more to himself than anyone else. It crossed his mind that perhaps there were more spies in their ranks.

While the army filed in, Sora approached the gateway, walking around it slowly. It seemed wholly… uninteresting and ordinary. He had been anticipating more of a spectacle, perhaps a strange energy, or at the very least, he assumed that the archway would be made of some bizarre new material to explain why it was acting like the doors to Kingdom Hearts. Sora ran his fingers along the surface of one pillar. The paint chipped off. Sora froze.

"It's… made of plaster…" he whispered to himself. He picked a little chunk off the pillar and it crumbled in his fingers. "It's fake!" He was filled with a sense of dread. It was only when the adrenaline began pumping that his eyes saw the little blinking red light at the base of the archway. The red light suddenly turned green. His heart stopped. He didn't have time to react. He only had enough time to open his mouth slightly in shock while his mind screamed out in terror.

_B__-!_

The word scarcely began to even form in Sora's throat before he was engulfed in a fiery explosion. The force of it threw him against the far wall and knocked him out while the shockwave ripped across the entire room, wall to wall, ceiling to floor, toppling everyone else. The blast shook the whole mountain, its fires scorching the skin of anyone close by, deafening all within a ten mile radius, and filling the room with a toxic smoke. Even the soldiers of Squad B, standing guard outside, were knocked off their feet. Kairi gaped in fear at the mountain, watching as rocks and snow tumbled down its sides. She prayed to whatever god was listening that that explosion was her friends' doing and that they were alright. She couldn't have been more wrong.

Chaos followed. Soldiers coughed from inhaling the smoke, covering their mouths as best as they could. People caught in the close vicinity of the explosion cried out pain, unable to summon any light magic to heal themselves. The ceiling of the base began cracking and crumbling. It would not be long before the roof collapsed, taking with it anyone still left inside.

Sora's world was spinning. Spinning, tilting, turning, round and round and round.

He was caught between an unconscious and conscious state of shock. He was vaguely aware that his head was bleeding somewhere and that he was lying on his back. There must've been burns on his entire front because everything hurt. The ringing in his ears was unbearable. All breath had been knocked out of his lungs and he couldn't even manage a pitiful moan of pain. By all counts, he should have been vaporized in the initial explosion, and he certainly felt like he had, but somehow, he was alive.

Shaking. Shivering. Burning, _Pain!_

And then Riku was there. And another. And another. And another. Sora couldn't see straight. The multiple visions of Riku were leaning over him, shaking him, shouting something at him. At least he could only assume that Riku was shouting, judging by his facial expression and wide open mouth, but he couldn't hear a thing. His vision blurred. Everything looked red.

Riku gave up on communicating and pulled a potion from his pocket, gently tipping it against Sora's bleeding lips. Sora gagged but still couldn't inhale. His lungs were about to give up entirely.

"Damn it, Sora, don't do this!" Riku cried, trying his hardest to remain strong. "Drink the damn potion!" He was the only one who had managed to bring up a shield around himself. He couldn't understand why no one else could perform spells.

Sora sputtered and coughed as the potion's healing effects took action. The pain lifted and the burns slowly disappeared. Riku almost felt relieved until the dark portals began forming all around them. Heartless of all shapes and sizes began pouring into the room, taking advantage of the wounded and the distressed warriors.

Screams of terror and agony echoed the halls of the mountain. Without their light magic, their weapons were useless on the dark creatures and they couldn't even defend themselves, not just from the Heartless but from falling debris as well. It was no longer a battle, it was a massacre.

"Kairi!" Riku shouted into his hand radio. "We've got an emergency!" Before the redhead could reply, the outside of the mountain became littered with incoming dark portals. Heartless poured out by the thousands. Kairi ordered her squad to attack, yielding better results than Squad A, but still not good enough to stand and fight forever.

Riku shouted for a retreat. Hands went up to summon Doors to Light, but nothing happened. Whatever was affecting their light magic apparently wouldn't allow them the use of light portals either. They had to run and run fast. The mountain was coming down.

Soldiers steadily retreated towards the doors and out the opening, carrying the wounded over their shoulders, but the Heartless were too strong, picking off the slow and weak first. Riku was trying his best to defend his people as they ran for the doors, ducking under falling debris and rocks. He could feel the light side of his heart being repressed, preventing him from doing any white magic, but his hands tingled with darkness.

"Everyone, get down!" he shouted. All his people hit the ground, covering their heads. Riku charged up a Reaction attack, releasing a shockwave of dark energy outwards. Half the Heartless were exterminated while the other half ducked under the wave. Within seconds, the number of Heartless tripled and they resumed attacking the humans as if nothing had happened. Riku's heart was racing and yet it felt as though everything were running in slow motion. He could only watch on in despair as the ones he failed to defend were caught by the creatures and their hearts devoured by the darkness. The soldiers who made it outside were faced with the Heartless attacking Squad B.

There seemed to be no end to this invasion.

Sora crawled to his feet, feeling lightheaded and dizzy from his near-death experience. Riku was about to question his health but was drawn away to attack the nearby Angel Stars and Gargoyles. Way To Dawn seemed to be the only weapon left in the room that was having an affect.

"Sora, you have to run!" Riku called. "Get out now!" Sora swayed on his feet and tried to summon his Keyblade, but still no luck.

"No…" he croaked, leaning on the wall for support. "No, I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to! You're no good in here!" Riku retorted, distracting himself for a split second, long enough for a Wight Knight to get a stray hit in. Riku hissed in pain and cut the Heartless down. He summoned his dark dragon to take out over a hundred creatures at once. He used a new technique he learned called _Whirlwind_ to slice through a hundred more rushing at him. The ground wouldn't stop shaking.

"Riku?" said a static-laced voice over the radio. "Riku, what's going on in there?" It was Kairi. "We've been ambushed outside! We need backup!"

"I could say the same thing," Riku muttered, swatting another enemy aside. "It's a slaughter in here! We're pulling out, but I can't leave yet! No one else can use their magic except me!" Kairi tried to respond but was cut off and the radio gave off static instead. "Kairi? _Kairi!_ Dammit!" He shoved the radio back in his pocket and resumed fighting.

He cast Thundana on a few airborne Wyverns. There were still at least a couple hundred soldiers left inside, most too badly wounded to move on their own while others were trapped under large rocks. Riku couldn't just leave them. Several of the commanders were still inside with them, trying to help the others out. But the Heartless' numbers only grew larger and larger. Riku squinted, feeling a sense of hopelessness falling over him.

"C'mon!" Sora shouted, shaking Riku out of his morbid reverie. "We gotta get these guys outta here!" Riku nodded with a new determination and they ran to the nearest group of soldiers. Riku cast Dark Protega over all the injured and immobile soldiers as he ran past them while Sora began pushing the rocks off the wounded and helping them to their feet. Riku attacked any and all Heartless who came near, trying to distract the enemy from the others. He was using every spell, every technique, every Drive and Limit he had learned in the last 6 months, but it just wasn't enough.

"Hey!" he barked at a large cluster of Neoshadows harassing Jack Skellington and his ghoulish Halloween Town soldiers. "Over here!" He fired rapid shots of lightning at them, dispersing the crowd they were forming.

A few Behemoths charged at the men Sora was trying to help. Riku quickly cast Protega around Sora and the others he was protecting.

"Come get it!" Riku shouted at the giant monstrosities. "Don't look at them! Look at me!" He launched a stream of Dark Aura at them, but they blatantly ignored it, ramming the shield around Sora with their horned heads. Riku panicked. His mana was depleting and if that shield dropped, his friends were toast. "I said _look at me_!"Riku held his hand out and the Behemoths froze in mid-stride. In fact, all the Heartless in and around the mountain stopped moving. The battlefield went quiet to some extent at the lack of movement, only filled with the sound of heavy breathing.

Once the shock wore off, the soldiers wasted no time trying explaining the enemy's sudden ceasefire and began evacuating quickly. Riku stared in shock at his own hand, wondering if he were somehow responsible. Sora ducked under the immobile horns that were threatening to crush his heart and ran to Riku's side. Riku slowly lowered his hand and the Heartless twitched back into motion. He quickly raised his hand again to stop them.

"Oh my god…" Sora whispered as realization dawned on him. "You're controlling them…"

"Oh no…" Riku hissed, shaking his head. "It's happening again!" He could feel it. The darkness was unfurling in his heart. By gaining control over the Heartless, he was losing control over his own light.

"You don't have to do this!" Sora insisted, gripping Riku's free hand. "Just let them go!"

"I can't! They'll kill you!" Large chunks of rock and boulders came crashing down around them. Riku cast Aero to change the course of some of them, landing them on the Heartless. He growled at the white hot burning pain in his heart, clenching his eyes shut. His mana was just about depleted, perhaps only enough left for one spell. Everything was happening too quickly. He quickly sorted through his head for a way to use the darkness building in his heart to everyone's advantage. And only one solution presented itself to him. (**music**)

"I'll hold them back," he murmured when he came up with a plan. "You get the others out." There was something haunting about how calm his voice was becoming, like he knew something that no one else did. Sora frowned and gritted his teeth.

"I told you, I'm not leaving you!" Sora gripped both Riku's shoulder but jumped back when Riku's arms seemed to be giving of a dark mist. His eyes landed on Sora's face. They were flickering between a harmonious green and terrifying yellow. The whites of his eyes were flooding with shadows, like ink soaking across a sheet of paper. Sora's heart wrenched at the sight. "Riku… don't do this…"

"I have to. You're the Keyblade Master. You must survive this. This is the only way now." Riku pushed Sora off him roughly, kneeled, and used his free hand to slam into the ground. An icy patch appeared around the spot he touched and rapidly spread to the walls, up to the deteriorating roof where it froze what remained in place. For the moment, the debris stopping raining down. But the ice was breaking and it was taking all of Riku's will power to keep it intact. "Go. Go now!" The Heartless were twitching as Riku's concentration was torn between controlling them, freezing the ceiling, and talking to Sora.

"What are you gonna do?" Sora demanded. There was something in Riku's voice and in his changing eyes. The older teen didn't say anything. "_What_ are you gonna _do_, Riku?"

"I'm gonna collapse the mountain with the Heartless still inside." Sora was taken aback.

"W-with _you_ still inside!" He wanted to scream with frustration at how overly melodramatic Riku was sometimes. "I won't let you do this!" He moved to drag Riku away, but couldn't budge him. The icy area around Riku had frozen his hand and knees to the ground. Sora intuitively tried to summon a bit of fire to thaw him out, but remembered his magic had been disabled. "This can't be happening…" It was exactly what he feared. It was all leading to one thing. Sora was going to lose Riku. He shook his head violently. Wrapping his arms around Riku's torso, he pulled with all his might, desperately trying to separate him from the frozen ground, but the silver-head just wouldn't shift. "I'll…I'll go get help! We'll get you outta here!" Sora straightened up to dash for the door, but stopped, realizing that was exactly what Riku wanted. He knew the moment he stepped out of the mountain that Riku would let it collapse. "No…" He turned back to Riku and collapsed beside him. "If I can't get you out of here right now, then I'm not going either."

"Just leave already!" Riku snapped. Sora flinched. The last of their people were gone and it was just Riku, Sora, and all the unmoving Heartless left. "Stop making this more difficult than it already is! You need to get as far away from this mountain as possible!" Sora wasn't aware that there were tears in his eyes until they started rolling down his blood-crusted cheeks. He defiantly shook his head. Riku's bottom lip trembled slightly. "…Fine…" The hand controlling the Heartless jerked slightly to the left and an Armored Knight suddenly came to life. It marched towards the two teens with its blade drawn. Sora panicked but stood and readied himself to fight it with his bare hands.

But before he knew what was going on, however, the Armored Knight grabbed Sora around the waist and tossed him over its shoulder, then stomped towards the entrance way. He realized that Riku was controlling this Heartless.

"_NO!_" he cried, bashing his fists uselessly against the cold metal of the Armored Knight. "Put me down! Dammit, Riku! Make it put me down! Riku! _RIKU!_ You promised we'd go home together! _YOU PROMISED!_" Riku closed his eyes, a black tear trickling down his face, and did his best to ignore Sora's cries and the great temptation to actually let the boy come back. But he knew what had to be done. He couldn't be selfish. Not anymore.

"I love you, Sora!" he called out. Sora tried to respond, but his voice caught in his throat. Instead, he made a loud howling noise, like a wounded wolf.

When the hollering and noise died down and all became silent once more, Riku let out a sigh of relief, thankful to know that Sora was safe on the outside. He allowed the magic keeping the ice in place on the ceiling to fade away and let his aching arm finally drop beside him. The ceilings above creaked and rumbled from the loss of the protective barrier. It didn't take long for the weight and pressure of the crumbling mountain to come down around him. The Heartless were slowly starting to move again, as if awakening from a long sleep. Riku didn't let any of it bother him. Pretty soon, none of those demons would be left standing.

He closed his eyes, picturing Sora's grinning cheerful face, and smiled to himself. The end came swiftly.

oOoOo

Outside, Kairi and all the commanders were the only humans left on the Land of Dragons. The Dragon Warriors' base had been evacuated and all their soldiers were waiting for them at Disney Castle. Kairi insisted on staying behind to wait for Sora and Riku. The dark portals had ceased the moment the Heartless had stopped moving, so the commanders were taking the opportunity to deal some heavy casualties to the enemy's numbers. Kairi, herself, was sporting some rather nasty bruises and a few cuts on her arms and legs.

Out of the main entrance to the mountain, there was movement and angry, sorrowful screaming. Kairi and the others stopped what they were doing and looked. An Armored Heartless stumbled out, throwing a distraught Sora to the ground. Kairi ran at the creature, putting her Keyblade through its torso. It dissolved back into darkness. She was about to make a quip about it but quickly noticed the tears running down Sora's face and helped him to his feet.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Riku?"

"He's still inside!" Sora yelled, furiously wiping away his tears. "We gotta go back for him!" He called Oblivion to his hand and made to run back into the mountain, but Kairi grabbed his shoulder.

"Sora, you can't go back in there! You'll just end up losing your Keyblade again!"

"I have to try! He's going to kill himself!" Kairi stifled a gasp. They both began running. Both halted to a complete stop when the entrance caved in, completely blocking the hallway beyond. Sora growled loudly and went to charge up a Firana to blow the way open, but stopped when the ground began shaking so badly that he couldn't stand on his feet any longer. The other commanders made noises of surprise and alarm when the Heartless all around them began moving again and the dark portals started up once more.

"We gotta get out of here!" Leon shouted, running to Sora and Kairi's side.

"Not without Riku!" Sora protested, firing a blast of light energy at the blocked opening. It only caused more debris and snow to fall in front. The mountain was coming down too quickly.Sora tried to run towards the entrance to move the rocks and stones by hand, but he was pulled back by Mulan. Her expression was stern and serious.

"If we don't get out of here right now, we're all dead!" she said firmly.

"Then leave!" Sora retorted, trying to shrug out of her grasp. "I'm not leaving until Riku does!"

"We don't have time!" Leon insisted, fighting off a horde of Assault Riders. Kairi grabbed Sora's other arm and pulled him away.

"Sora, we can't stay here!" she said sadly. Sora stared at her for a very brief moment, rage ripping through his heart. Behind him, he heard a thunderous rumbling noise as the mountainside began caving in, taking with it the ice base of the Heartless and the young man who saved them all. Sora spun around and could only stare in shock as the mountain collapsed in slow motion, becoming nothing more than a rocky snow-covered pile of rubble. The dust and snow were rushing at him at break-neck speeds.

"C'mon Sora," Leon said urgently, very much aware of how close the enemy army was and the oncoming avalanche. "Time to go." He grabbed Sora under the arms and pulled the distraught teen to his feet. All around them, dark portals were opening. Kairi opened a Door of Light and all the remaining commanders ran through just as their position was overrun with Heartless and freezing torrents of snow.

On the other side, Leon released Sora, offered his sincerest apologies, and left to do a head count to determine exactly how many soldiers they lost.

Sora was in shock. He placed his hands over his mouth, emitting no noise at all. Kairi stood next to him, breathing heavily. She looked over her shoulder, praying that somehow Riku would be right behind her, but when she saw no one there, she began sobbing. Then, there was a flurry of motion as Sora attempted to create another Door to Light to get back to the Land of Dragons, but Kairi grabbed his arms.

"Sora, stop it!" she cried. "It's over…"

"No it's not!" Sora growled, fighting to get his arms free. "He wouldn't give up on us! We shouldn't give up on him!"

"You can't go back by yourself! You'll be killed!" Kairi's voice dropped to a whisper. "You saw how that mountain came down… Nothing could have…sur-…surv-…" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, breaking down. Sora froze up, his heart going cold as he took in Kairi's outburst.

_He's gone…_ The reality of it all was sinking in slowly. _He's dead…_

"But… he promised…" Sora's face crumpled with grief. He couldn't breathe.

After everything they went through, after all the trials and tribulations of getting to the point they had reached together, after worrying so much about protecting Riku and keeping him safe, it was over so soon. Just like that. There were too many emotions running through Sora's heart that he couldn't process them all. But above all else, he felt defeated. He failed to protect the one he loved.

"Oh god no…" Kairi whispered, stumbling to the ground to sit. Sora collapsed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Riku…"

Sky ran out to the courtyard from the main building, looking around at all the weary and tired soldiers. Many had already been healed the moment they had stepped out of the mountain. Most had sustained injuries too great for a simple Cure spell to handle and needed advanced Healers. Sky navigated through the crowd until he found the two grief-stricken Keyblade Wielders. He did a double-take, noting their expressions, the sadness, the tears, and the missing third person of their normally-happy little trio. He knew, without even having to ask. He knew.

"He's gone…" he muttered. Eyes shut tightly as his hands covered his mouth. "Not again…"

"We…we left him…" Sora said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. His face crumbled along with his heart. His shoulders began shaking violently as his body became racked with sharp sobs. "I left him to die…"

"Don't you dare blame yourself!" Kairi suddenly snapped, causing both brunettes to jump. "None of us knew they would have a way to block our magic in the mountain!"

"None of us…" Sora looked up, for a moment forgetting about his grief. "Someone did." He stood up and briskly walked into the castle.

"Sora?" Kairi called after him, following him along with Sky. "Sora, where are you going?" Sora didn't respond. He just kept walking. "Sora, talk to me! What's going on?" Sky followed and watched Sora carefully as Sora navigated the hallways, the younger knowing exactly where he wanted to go.

Within minutes, they were descending a staircase to the dungeons and Sky figured out where Sora was going. The first cell on the left was Pintel's, which Sora made a bee-line for. Pintel looked properly surprised and terrified when he saw both brunettes approach his cell, one with a murderous look in his eyes. Sora summoned his Oblivion and pointed it at the lock, unlocking it with ease.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sky murmured to himself, folding his arms as he watched on. Sora kicked down the bar door and stormed in, grabbing Pintel by the neck. Kairi cried out in alarm.

"Sora, stop it!" she screamed, grabbing Sora's arms. He ignored her, his eyes only focused on the pirate before him.

"You knew, didn't you?" he demanded harshly. Pintel gagged from being strangled and squinted his eyes at the force of Sora's voice alone. "You knew that the Land of Dragons had a _fake_ base! You knew it was a trap all along! You had to have!"

"I didn't!" Pintel gasped, desperately clawing as Sora's unrelenting arms. "I swear! Maleficent never told me 'er plans! I was jus' a mole! Not'ing more! I swear!"

"LIAR!" Sora's fingers dug a little deeper and gripped a little tighter. Pintel's vision began blacking out as his oxygen ran out.

"Sky, stop him!" Kairi cried, turning to the older one. "He's gonna kill him!" Sky shrugged nonchalantly.

"No worse than he deserves," was the response Kairi received. She could only stare in shock. It was Pintel's pathetic cry that brought her back to Sora.

"Listen to me, Sora!" she cried urgently. "No one is to blame! _No one_! Not even this disgusting pirate! But if you murder him, you'll be putting Riku's sacrifice to shame! You hear me? You may as well _spit_ on Riku's grave!" Sora made a guttural noise of fury, turning his Keyblade on Kairi and freezing. She stood her ground boldly with the tip of Oblivion just inches from her collarbone, staring him in the eye. He took a few steadying breaths before coming to his senses and dropping the Keyblade as though it were burning hot. Oblivion clattered to the ground loudly like nails down a chalkboard, and vanished a moment later in a show of dark mist and light sparkles. Sora couldn't believe what he had almost done.

"Oh my god…" he whispered. "Oh god, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He broke down begging for forgiveness as Kairi wrapped her arms around him, hushing him gently, telling him everything would be okay, letting him cry on her shoulder until the tears would come no more. Sky huffed, steering the two out of the cell and locking it behind himself, glaring at Pintel's weak state.

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?" he said to the pirate. "One lucky bastard…" He struggled to help Sora walk back up the stairs, but once they were back in daylight, Sora collapsed on the ground with Kairi by his side, unable to stop the tears. Kairi hugged him tightly, hoping that somehow things would get better, but knowing better. Sky couldn't bear the sight. It was like reliving a nightmare.

That day, the battle of Dragon Darkness, as it would later be referred as, was the worst day of Sora's life. He wasn't sure if he'd ever smile again.

oOoOo

A/N: This was a difficult chapter to write. I got quite emotional for obvious reasons. Please review and keep going!


	13. Chapter 13: Rememberance

**A/N:** I thought it appropriate to post the thirteenth chapter on Friday the 13th. I decided that from now till the end, I'll recommend a bit of music you can listen to while reading each chapter. I was browsing other Sora/Riku fics on this site and came across one called "and then, and now" by Appuru, which mentioned a beautiful song called "Song for Sienna". I Youtube'd it and fell in love with it within seconds! I think it suits a little bit of this chapter very well. Start playing the song after the third scene break and enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 13: Remembrance

Imagine a world without love - cold, barren, and lonely, without hope or light or warmth. Now imagine a world where you had love and it was taken from you, ripped from your lips before you had a chance to really savour it. This was the world that Sora lived in now.

He didn't want to believe in fate, despite being born of a world called Destiny Islands. He believed that everyone had a choice in life. But sometimes, there were things that were out of your control. Ever since he met Sky, found out about Riku's fate, and then watched the collapsing mountain take away the one he loved, he was starting to believe that perhaps fate was actually real and that it was a cold-hearted bitch.

oOoOo

_Feb 28__th__, 2007_

King Mickey tiredly paced across his office, blinking his burning eyes in the hopes that it'd wake him up a little more. It was early morning, perhaps only 4AM. He wasn't quite sure. His clock hadn't been wound up in weeks. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't sleep at all. And with good reason.

It was only 14 hours ago that he had sat down with the commanders who participated in the Battle of Dragon Darkness and conducted a lengthy debriefing, going over every detail of exactly what happened in the Land of Dragons. Over a thousand soldiers were wounded and around three hundred were either killed or missing, including a Keyblade Wielder. Mickey sighed upon remembering that last bit of information. The news came as a tremendous shock. As king, Mickey tried his best to maintain a sense of professionalism when dealing with others. He wasn't really supposed to show favour over specific people, but Riku was a dear friend of his – they had fought many battles side by side in the past – so it was near impossible to not be grief-stricken when he was informed of Riku's death.

Mickey sighed again. In 4 short hours, another funeral ceremony would commence and he'd be responsible for the opening speech. He just didn't know if he could do it. This war wasn't supposed to be claiming so many lives. They were the ones who were supposed to get the jump on Maleficent, not the other way around.

The pacing stopped and Mickey took a seat in his chair, staring vacantly at the blank cue cards before him. He figured he may as well work on his speech.

oOoOo

It was 8AM now. Thousands of soldiers and dozens of world leaders filed into Disney Castle's grand hall. As with previous funeral ceremonies, there were no coffins present, only this time, it was because no bodies could be recovered. Many of the fallen soldiers had been consumed by the darkness and were likely nothing more than Heartless now. And it was much too dangerous to go back to the Land of Dragons at that time to look for bodies.

Kairi shuffled slowly with the procession of Princesses. She didn't want to be there. She wanted her bed. She wanted to grieve on her own with Sora. But formalities were such a pain. Looking around the room, she noted that Sora had yet to arrive. Skulking at the back was Sky, arms folded and head turned down. Kairi was still mad at him for allowing Sora to almost commit murder just the day before. It was hard to imagine a world where the shining optimism and pure heart within Sora could ever go out, but it almost did.

Once everyone was settled in their seats, the King approached the front podium and began making his speech. Kairi tuned most of it out, only catching the highlights, such as how 'brave' and 'honourable' these men and women were for giving up their lives in the pursuit of peace for others. She choked back a sob, still unable to come to terms with Riku's death, knowing that she would never see him or speak with him again. He was her brother, the one she could really look up to and trust with her life.

But what broke her heart the most was knowing that Riku and Sora only had one day together before they were ripped from each other. Kairi glanced over her shoulder, hoping to give Sora a comforting look, but couldn't find him anywhere in the crowd. She turned her attention back to the front just as the King was listing off the names of all the soldiers who were killed. Concern was finding a nice home in her heart. Where was he?

"And now the Keyblade Master Sora will say a few words," Mickey announced. All went silent as they waited, but the young Master didn't appeared. Mickey cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sora, are you here?" Kairi was searching the crowd again as people began whispering and shifting, looking around. Sky pushed off from the wall he was leaning on and approached the front, taking Sora's place.

"Yesterday, we lost a great number of people," he began, adlibbing his speech. It came across naturally, as though it had become a routine thing for him to be making speeches as funerals. "They were soldiers of light. More importantly, they were human beings. With families of their own. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters. They died protecting the peace we take for granted. We will not let their sacrifice be in vain. And they will not be forgotten." He bowed his head briefly and everyone followed suit. As soon as Mickey announced the next speaker, Belle, Sky was marching out the doors in search of his younger self.

oOoOo

(**music**)

A mild breeze blew across the green meadows of 100 Acre Woods, tousling the leaves of the trees. Piglet, Rou, and Tigger were having a bouncing contest while Pooh Bear was attempting to climb a tree where a bee hive was located. Sitting at the base of the tree with his knees propped up and his head buried in his arms was Sora, quiet as can be.

Winnie the Pooh and the others, for the most part, seemed to be unsure of what was wrong with Sora or how to deal with him, and they left him pretty much alone when he declined their initial offers to play with him. None of the animals had a clue what it meant to be grieving the loss of another, since death was nonexistent in this world. The gloomy cloud that surrounded Sora confused them and they gave it a wide berth. But Sora didn't mind. He preferred it that way.

Sky walked along the little dirt path to where Sora was sitting, taking in his surroundings. In Sky's timeline, the 100 Acre Woods book had been destroyed a few years ago by his perspective when Radiant Garden had been wiped out, so it had been a good couple years since he had last seen its lush grass and lovable characters. He actually rather missed it.

Without a word, Sky took a seat next to Sora and rested his arms on his knees, waiting for Sora to start the conversation if he so desired to. There was a long stretch of silence before Sora finally turned to look at Sky, acknowledging his presence. His face was a mess, tear-streaked and eyes red. He looked tired, probably running on only a couple hours of sleep. Sky knew exactly what he was going through.

"How…" Sora whispered hoarsely, his voice quivering. "How'd you know I'd be…here…" He trailed off, figuring out the answer on his own. "Because you're me…"

"I'm you…" Sky agreed quietly, nodding slightly. He leaned back, getting a little more comfortable. "This is where I hid… when my Riku…" He closed his eyes, remembering that dark period in his life. So much pain. So much regret. So hard to come to terms with Riku's death. The very thought that he wouldn't be there, by his side, was a miserable existence. Everyday after that horrible moment of acceptance was a struggle. And now, the only purpose he really felt for being in this timeline was gone. He had failed.

Sora pursed his lips, trying to keep his bottom lip from trembling. His heart ached so much that it was difficult to breathe. Part of him really hated Sky at the moment. If it weren't for Sky splitting them up during their training, Sora figured he would've had more time with Riku. But if it weren't for Sky, they never would have received the heads-up about Maleficent's army in the first place. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, he decided it wasn't Sky fault and there was no point in holding such an unnecessary hatred for someone who was only trying to help. Sky was the only one who truly understood his pain. Subtly, Sora shifted, resting his weary head on Sky's shoulder. Another breeze rolled by unnoticed.

Sky watched as Tigger and Rou bounced by, happily giggling as Piglet tried to keep up. Above his head, Pooh had found the honey he desired very much and was greedily eating it up, much to the bees' displeasure. For them, life goes on. Everything is perfect. They cared not for the outside world. Nothing beyond the pages of the 100 Acre Woods mattered to them.

Sky stirred slightly when he heard what sounded like tiny coughs coming from his side, but when he glanced at Sora, he realised they were poorly-concealed sobs. Sky sighed.

"You don't have to be strong all the time," he murmured, looking at the clouds overhead. The tiny sniffs were making his heart break all over again. Sora squeezed his eyes shut, not quite understanding, himself, why he felt the need to fight back the tears. Maybe he thought he was supposed to be tough, like Sky was. "It's okay to cry. Don't hold them in." And like a dam breaking, Sora began crying loudly, the tears running freely. Sky blinked back tears of his own as he gently rubbed Sora's back. Even though he felt it was okay for Sora to cry, he didn't want to start again. All he could do was hold on to Sora until the tears dried up.

Emotions overflowed, squeezing Sora's heart painfully. He couldn't tear his thoughts away from his last moments with Riku, seeing the one he loved being consumed by darkness, sacrificing his light and life just so everyone would survive. The eyes that never lied, fluctuating between good and evil, would forever be imprinted on Sora's heart and in his nightmares.

For nearly half an hour, Sora wept, unable to stop. His cry was shallow and watery, his eyes burned, and his head ached. His animal friends had ceased their games only for a moment, confused by Sora's outburst, but when they could not help, they resumed their play. Sora's voice carried across the hills, disturbing the birds and small woodland creatures that were unable to comprehend its meaning.

Finally, the tears were slowing until all that remained were hiccups. Sora was regaining control over his emotions. After a few more minutes, he stopped altogether, silent as he was when Sky had first arrived. It still hurt to breathe and he was in desperate need of a tissue, but otherwise, he seemed calm for the moment. Sky continued his soothing ministrations until the hiccups went away. A blanket of silence fell over them.

Sora cleared his sore throat, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry…" Sky stirred, raising an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"I couldn't save him…" Sora sniffed, rubbing his eyes again. "I tried…I really tried!"

"I know you did."

"But he wouldn't leave! He was so stubborn… He wanted to save us all, even if it meant he couldn't save himself…"

"Sounds like Riku…" Sky closed his eyes once more as he patted Sora's shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. You don't owe me any kind of explanation."

"I'm okay…"

"No you're not." The statement made Sora pause, feeling his chest ache dully again. Tears began pooling in his eyes once more.

"Does it get better…? Does the pain ever go away?"

Sky sighed, reluctant to answer. "…Would you like me to lie?"

"Please…" Sora's voice was so weak and vulnerable, it made Sky wish he could make everything all better.

"Yes… The pain goes away." A few tears trickled down Sora's face as he tried in vain to smile, even if it was faked.

"Thank you…" Another bout of silence overcame the two. Over a nearby hill, Tigger was disturbing Rabbit's peace by hopping all over Rabbit's garden. Pooh had moved on from the empty beehive to play hide-n-seek with Piglet and Eeyore.

"What was he like…?" Sora suddenly spoke up, his voice still raw. "I mean… _your_ Riku… What was he like? With you?" Sky gazed at Sora, quietly contemplating the question.

"You knew him just as well as I did," he replied after a moment.

"No, I didn't," Sora protested softly, staring at a spot on the ground in front of his feet. "Not the way you did. Not like a lover would…." His bottom lip quivered slightly, but he snagged it between his teeth to keep from crying again. "I had less than 12 hours with him after our first kiss. Technically, only two and a half hours as an official couple…" He scoffed bitterly. "I can't say I knew everything about him. I knew the basic stuff, like his favourite colour and his favourite food, but I didn't know the intimate stuff, like his greatest fear or whether or not he liked cuddling." His voice cracked towards the end of that sentence and he hid his head again in his arms. "I know it seems stupid and weird, but… I just wanna know what it would have been like…if we really were together…" Sky allowed for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"For the record…" he began. "Riku loved cuddling. He was such a girl sometimes…" Sky smiled at the memory while Sora shook ever so slightly with a suppressed chuckle. "And his second greatest fear was the darkness taking him again. His first was losing me… He once told me that he would be lost without me… " Sky rubbed his tired eyes before continuing. "Are you sure you want to hear all this?" He didn't want to say any more if it would upset Sora further. Sora raised his head up, a little spark of his usual self shining through, the sparking being his determination.

"I want to know everything."

Sky shrugged. "Well okay…"

oOoOo

Return Anniversary

_Aug. 4__th__, 2007 – Alternate Timeline_

The sun was setting over Destiny Island, concluding yet another blissful day for the happy Keyblade-wielding trio. Today was their second Return Anniversary celebrating the safe return of Sora and Riku. It was almost hard to believe that just two years ago, they had defeated Xemnas and restored order to the universe. It seemed like just yesterday, and yet at the same time, it seemed like a lifetime ago. In a way, it _was_ a lifetime ago, because Sora, Riku, and Kairi certainly weren't the same people who left Destiny Island all those years ago.

Sora was turning 18 in the fall. He would be attending university, studying astronomy and astrophysics, understandably feeling an undying connection with the night sky and the worlds that lay beyond the darkness. Even now, as he lay on the sand next to his two best friends in the entire universe, staring up at the fading sky with a stupidly gleeful smile on his face, he wondered how all his other friends were doing. Were they just as safe and happy?

The cool late summer air of the evening nipped at Sora's arms and he instinctively shifted towards the nearest heat source, which turned out to be Riku. The silver-hair young man didn't mind at all. By this time, Sora had become aware that something was changing between the two. He had the frequent desire to be nearer to Riku, looked for excuses to brush hands with him, hoping for those moments alone when he would rest his head on Riku's lap and make jokes about anything and everything. It was becoming quite natural. And yet, Sora was still too nervous to call Riku on it or put a name to what was different.

Once the sun had set completely and the air turned a little chillier with the cold ocean delivering a breeze every so often, Riku decided it was time to start a fire pit before it got too dark for them to see their own hands.

The fire crackled away as Riku added another log and poked it around with a long piece of driftwood he had found. Kairi was basking in its warmth and glow, taking her sandals off and lying sideways next to the pit. Sora was breaking out their snacks and set to work making s'mores for the three of them. Riku sat next to the brunette and accepted the gooey treat. The chatter was light and comfortable. They talked about the anxieties of starting university, of bridging the gap between childhood and adulthood, and of the exciting prospect of being old enough to finally buy their own alcohol.

Sometime during the night, however, Sora's eyes were once again drawn overhead, gazing at the stars. He frowned, unable to find his favourite constellation, Cassiopeia. In fact, many of the constellations were missing key stars. The night sky seemed bare.

"Huh," he murmured, getting the attention of both his companions.

"Huh, what?" Riku asked.

"The stars…There don't seem to be as many of them out tonight as usual." Riku looked up and shrugged.

"Could be the fire. Diluting the stars' light. Interference."

"Or the city lights," Kairi added. "They've really been building up over the last few years on the mainland." Sora shook his head.

"No, I'm certain the stars are just… gone…" Sora couldn't explain himself. He loved star-gazing much more than Kairi and Riku, so he didn't expect them to notice that some constellation were simply missing. "It wasn't like this just a few days ago." Sora kept watching the skies, looking for something to explain it. Just then, a star he was looking at vanished. Sora blinked. "They're going out." He felt a little worried. "The stars are going out." What could it mean?

Letter from the King

_Aug. 5__th__, 2007_

It was early afternoon when the letter came. Riku and Sora were reminiscing about the manner in which they had returned home two years prior while Kairi was scouring the beach for seashells. Riku was just saying that it was Sora's heart that brought them home when suddenly Kairi was shouting their names and running towards them with a bottle in hand. Sora took one look at the seal, the mark of King Mickey, and raced to open the bottle, his hands shaking as he did so. He read the letter carefully, his two friends reading it over his shoulder. He blinked and read it again to be sure. Then he dropped the bottle, forgetting about it entirely as it shattered on the ground.

_Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi,_

_I hope you're doing well since we last spoke. I'm afraid I have some bad news, though. I'm so sorry to bring you into this, but you three are our only hope now. There's been a massive attack spanning hundreds of worlds. Many fell within hours of the attack hitting them. Our sources have told us that Maleficent is behind the attacks. We don't know how she managed to get control over the Heartless once more, but her numbers are in the millions and she's relentless. We need the aid of Keyblade Masters. The walls between worlds have been shattered. I'm sending a gummi ship to pick you all up on the 6__th__ of August. I hope that's enough time to make arrangements and pack a few essential items._

_I wish we could have been reuniting under better terms,_

_-King Mickey_

"Here we go again," Riku muttered.

Traverse Town

_Sept 13__th__, 2007_

It had only been a little over a month since they had joined this fight, but they were already tired and the fight had evolved into a war. Sora just wanted to go home.

Nothing was the same as it was two years ago. Back then, it was a simple enough task to battle the Heartless – jump from world to world, lock the keyhole or defeat a boss, and move on. But this new breed of Heartless demons weren't playing by the same rules. They attacked without warning or provocation. Their numbers were always too many to handle. They swarmed and feasted on the hearts of everyone who got in their way. There were far too many close calls with Sora and his friends. Too many times when they just barely managed to survive. The Corridors of Darkness were their only means of transport and it was a deadly affair getting from one world to the next. They were starting to run out of gummi blocks to build new ships, let alone repair the ones they already had.

The survivors of the worlds ravaged by the Heartless were carried through the void until they arrived in Traverse Town. It was there that Sora, Riku, and Kairi were rounding up the refugees and bringing them to Disney Castle where they would be safe. It was there that they got their first treat of Maleficent's warships bombing the surface of Traverse Town from the dark void separating each world.

In the Third District, Sora was fighting for his life. Three Behemoths were scuffing their hooves on the ground, revving up to charge Sora. The ground was shaking from the bombardment. Riku and Kairi were in the other two Districts trying to get the refugees from their homes and out of danger.

Sora roll-dodged the first Behemoth's attack, jumped to his feet and did a high jump to avoid the next, then glided to a window sill to evade the bombshells falling from the sky. One Behemoth raised its head, summoning several pillars of electricity to pummel Sora, knocking him off the sill. He landed hard on the ground, twisting his elbow on impact. Summoning a quick heal spell, he recovered, shaking the feeling back into his arms, and had to swiftly high-jump over the stampeding Behemoths running at him. When he landed, he heard the impeding whistling noise of another missile, so he rolled underneath a Behemoth to take shelter. The very moment the explosion went off, Sora ducked out from under the disoriented beast and ran up its backside, driving his Keyblade straight into its skull. It roared out in pain and collapsed in a heap, sending Sora tumbling to the ground with it. He breathed heavily, sweat drenching his face. It had taken him almost an hour just to take down _one_ of those things. He didn't know if he had the strength or stamina to do it again two more times.

"Sora!" a voice called. Sora looked over his shoulder to see Riku standing on a rooftop. Riku charged up an attack and launched an enormous dark energy ball at the two Behemoths, forcing them back a little. "The refugees are all on board! We should leave!" Sora nodded, not needing to be told twice. He jumped up to the roof with Riku and they ran across to the next roof and the next until they arrived where their gummi ship Excalibur was parked and waiting. A horde of Heartless were storming the First District at an alarming rate.

As soon as Sora and Riku stepped foot onboard, the ship came to life and lifted off. But they weren't in the clear yet. While Kairi piloted, Riku and Sora manned the turrets, firing on the Heartless trying to attach themselves to the hull of the ship. Once they were out of the atmosphere and in the dark void, they were confronted by Maleficent's ships on all sides. Kairi had become quite skilled at piloting and maneuvered them through a gap between the enemy ships as Sora and Riku destroyed the ships tailing them. Excalibur gave a violent quake whenever they were hit. The refugees, mostly women and children, cried out in terror, holding each other for dear life.

"We're almost through the thick of it!" Kairi called, twisting the control stick roughly to the left. "Keep those fighters off my tail!"

"We're trying!" Riku shouted, shooting down another dozen smaller ships. A few more minutes of being jostled around, Kairi was able to fly them out into a safe zone and breathe a sigh of relief.

"We're out…" she sighed, sitting back for the first time in almost two hours as the hyperdrive engaged. "We made it!" The survivors relaxed a little, smiling in a strained sort of way. There were only about a hundred or so people on board. Everyone else had perished back in Traverse Town.

Sora groaned, standing up to stretch and work out the tense muscles. He couldn't remember being this stressed out in his entire life. He stiffened when he felt a pair of hands rubbing his shoulders but relaxed when he saw it was just Riku.

"You're bleeding," he stated, his hands working slow circles against Sora's back. Sora almost purred, ignoring the cut along his hairline, simply enjoying the feeling of Riku's hands against his skin. One hand stopped and wiped away the blood that was trickling down his forehead. "We should take care of that." Both hands had stopped now and Sora was disappointed. Riku turned him around so they were facing each other. He brushed Sora's hair back so he could see the cut clearly. It was deep and bleeding heavily now that Sora's hair was no longer obstructing it. Sora felt a little light-headed, but he was certain it had nothing to do with his injury. Riku was so close, breathing softly against Sora's forehead, his lips slightly parted. Sora wanted very much to capture those lips with his own, but restrained himself.

Another time, another place.

Versa-stigma

_Nov. 1__st__, 2007_

Steam hissed as Excalibur's engines went offline. The main hatch opened with a hiss and Sora walked out, taking in a gulp of fresh air. He and his crew had just finished an unsuccessful 5-day mission in Wonderland. They were looking for Princess Alice. What they found was death and destruction. There were no friendly survivors.

Sora stretched his sore limbs out, more or less happy to have survived that mission, despite everything. Before he could even catch his breath, however, he was roughly grabbed from behind by a figure wearing a white suit and helmet.

"What's going on?" he cried as the shipyard was filled with similarly-dressed figures. The figure holding him pushed him against the grated floor while another approached with a syringe. The rest of Sora's gummi crew were apprehended, their arms being tied up. "Who are you?" The figures said nothing. There were several figures pointing devices at the hull of Excalibur. The devices made a gentle humming noise.

Sora hissed in pain when the syringe was jammed in his arm. Instead of being injected with something, it drew blood into a small vial. The white figure took the vial and put it in a strange-looking machine that buzzed and beeped a few times.

"He's clean," said the figure with the blood sample. Sora was freed from floor.

"Same with these four," said another. Sora's crew members were released and their arms unbound.

"Ship looks good," said a third voice. A click noise resonated across the shipyard as the white figures removed their helmets. They were people Sora knew, people who worked in the castle. One was Donald. Sora glared in disbelief.

"Donald, what's going on here?" he demanded once he was on his feet again. "What was that all about? Why did you take a sample of my blood?"

"Calm down, Sora!" Donald quacked harshly, folding his wings. "It's become standard procedure now, after what happened in the Enchanted Dominion." Sora's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"What happened?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he had to.

"Aurora and all her people were found in a deep magic-induced coma. According to the fairies of that world, they've all been infected with a dark plague called Versa-stigma."

"What?" Sora was floored. Another Princesses of Heart was dying? He couldn't begin to come to terms with that, not after discovering Alice's body in Wonderland, her wrists slit and covered with caked dry blood.

"The fairies were the ones who put Aurora and her people in that coma to slow the effects of the plague, but it's not a cure." Donald shook his head sadly. "It's highly contagious. All the people from the scouting crew who went to the Enchanted Dominion have come back infected. It began spreading to castle inhabitants and all the shipyard crew, then to other teams, and then to other worlds. And it's only been a couple days! It's turned into a massive pandemic! We can't stop it! All we can do is check the people who come back here to make sure they haven't been infected."

"What exactly is this plague? What are the symptoms?"

"Fevers, dark bruises and lesions on the skin, hallucinations, increased aggression, and tremendous amount of pain. No one's died from it yet, but they're certainly not getting any better. We got our top healers working on finding a cure." Sora frowned, unable to comprehend how something like this was even possible.

"What are you doing if you do find someone infected?" he asked slowly. Donald shook his head.

"There isn't much we can do. We have to quarantine them until a cure is found."

Quarantine

_Jan. 16__th__, 2008_

The holidays had been lousy and miserable. It was the first Christmas in a long time that Sora had spent away from his family. He couldn't go back home. He knew the consequences. The Heartless would follow him back to Destiny Island and all his loved ones would be in danger. Thus far, Destiny Islands had avoided any conflict.

The two weeks Sora normally would have taken off were busy. He didn't get very much rest at all. All through the week of Christmas, he had been hopping from world to world, picking up survivors and defending the weak. It had been a late afternoon when he realized it was the 25th of December and that by the time he would have gotten back to the castle, Christmas would be over. Then on New Years Eve, he was stranded on the New World with Pocahontas and John Smith, barricading themselves in a cave to hide from a dozen ravenous Wyverns until help could arrive.

The last and most important reason why his holidays had been so miserable was because that's when the first of the infected began dying. The others were getting restless and angry. They had been quarantined in Radiant Garden's lower catacombs, the original laboratory where Ansem the Impostor had first learned to breed Heartless. The original plan was to put them all in a magic-induced coma, but the fairies capable of performing the magic were killed in an early attack.

There was no hope for a cure. Sora was sure of that. They were all going to die and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

More reports were coming in everyday about other worlds falling before Sora and his friends could get to them. He didn't know if he could keep this up. This was nothing like the first Heartless invasion. These Heartless were smarter. They could plan attacks, coordinate, think independent of their instincts. More importantly, Maleficent had an advantage this time around. She had an inexplicable way of evading death at every turn. There had already been two attempts on her life, but somehow she came back, just as strong.

Sora found himself wandering the courtyard outside Castle Luminous. He needed air, feeling suffocated inside the walls formerly belonging to Maleficent. He spotted Riku standing at the edge of the courtyard, staring out at the wasteland that surrounded Radiant Garden. The Restoration Committee had been so close to restoring this world to its former glory. Over a year ago, there had been a crane accident that killed hundreds, including key delegates. The world was in disrepair when the Heartless attacks began.

"Hey," Sora greeted quietly, standing next to Riku.

"Hey," Riku replied, somewhat despondent. Sora wanted very much at that moment to take Riku in his arms and promise him everything would be okay, but he thought better of it. He figured that kind of thing only happened in the movies and only when girls were involved. Riku sighed. "How did things get so fucked up?" Sora didn't have an answer. Riku looked so lost in that moment that Sora thought 'Aw fuck it' and took Riku's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Riku glanced at their joined hands and smiled faintly, returning the squeeze.

Suddenly, there was an explosion emanating from deep within Castle Luminous that shook the two. There were screams of horror coming from inside. Sora and Riku wasted no time running into the castle to see what happened, weapons already summoned. All around them, people were running in a panic. Sora tried to stop one to ask them what happened, but they were too in shock to speak.

And then, turning a corner, the two Keyblade Wielders saw a horde of infected refugees lumbering towards them, attacking soldiers and civilians alike. They didn't look human anymore. The lesions and dark bruises had spread across their entire body and their eyes had turned a cold yellow. The way they moved was primal and limp, like their limbs were only dead weights holding them back. Leading them at the front was Cloud, patient zero, looking even worse than the rest. A dark mist was rising from his body. Sora stared with wide eyes of alarm.

"What are you doing, Cloud?" he demanded. Cloud didn't answer. His face was vacant. Riku gave Sora a not-so-subtle nudge.

"That's not Cloud anymore…" he whispered. "Cloud died last week of Versa-Stigma…" Sora shuddered, realising what was happening. All the people in the lurching crowd were people who had died from the plague. All of them were becoming Heartless. And with a panicked realization, Sora and Riku were in danger of becoming infected as well.

Sora raced to get his jacket off and wrapped it around the lower half of Riku's face, hoping it wasn't too late to avoid breathing the infected air. Riku jumped a little but figured out what Sora was doing and stripped his own vest off, giving it to Sora to cover his mouth.

With a heavy guilt, they charged the infected group, slicing and cutting their way through. Every time Sora's blade connected with a body, he was filled with an immense amount of sorrow and regret. He knew what would happen if he didn't kill them now. He kept telling himself this was for the better, that they wouldn't want to become Heartless, that he was saving them somehow.

Only Cloud remained, bleeding from a deep wound in his stomach. He dropped to his knees. His eyes stopped glowing as the life drained out of him and for a moment, he looked sad. His last breath sounded like a name, perhaps "Air", but too quiet for Sora or Riku to hear properly. And then he was gone, laying face down among a pile of corpses. Sora's bottom lip trembled as he dropped his Keyblade, banishing it. He wanted to scream but held it in.

So many people died that night. He remembered the terror that gripped him as he and Riku were checked for Versa-Stigma and the relief that followed when their blood samples came back clean. He recalled the bonfire on the outskirts of Radiant Garden later that night, the putrid smell of burning flesh, and the feeling of hopelessness that went along with it. But above all else, he remembered how Riku held him close during it all and kissed his temple, telling him he did the right thing. Those souls were free now.

Love

_Apr. 10__th__, 2008_

The moment Excalibur landed in Disney Castle's shipyard and the hatch opened, there was a flurry of activity. Sora and Jim Hawkins supported the weak and bleeding form of Denzel, carrying him off the ship and laying him on the grate floor carefully. Another mission had gone sour and Denzel had been ripped across the abdomen by a rather nasty and fierce Heartless. He shook and convulsed as he lost pints of blood dripping through the grated floor.

"I need a healer!" Sora shouted, pushing his hands against the large wound. Ordinary Cure spells had no affect on wounds of this magnitude. The familiar white-suited figures swarmed them, ready to follow the Versa-stigma procedures, but Sora batted away their hands. "No, check Denzel! He needs a healer!" A white figure quickly checked Denzel's blood for traces of the deadly disease and announced it was clear. He was loaded on a gurney just as his body gave out.

"His heart's stopped," one figure said in a clearly female voice. "Clear!" She pressed her hands to the wound and cast a more powerful Cure spell. "No effect. Clear!" She cast another. Denzel remained motionless. The figure tried one last time to revive him, but was unable to do so. She pulled a tuft of phoenix down from her pocket and placed it on the wound. There was no reaction whatsoever. "I'm sorry. I'm calling it." She checked her watch. "Time of death, 4:35PM." Sora shook his head in disbelief.

"No! You have to try again!"

"There's nothing more we can do for him."

"Try it! For God's sake, just try!"

"_Sora!_" the figure snapped, removing her helmet and breaking procedure. It was Aeris underneath. "It's too late. He's gone. I'm sorry." Sora stumbled backwards a few steps, shock and grief taking him. Denzel had been on his crew for over 6 months. They had become good friends. He was just a kid… Like Sora. And now he was just another casualty.

Sora was only dimly aware that a sample of his blood was taken for testing while a couple of white figures covered Denzel's body with a white sheet and wheeled him away. Once the rest of Sora's crew were checked, they were given the green light to head to the infirmary for a more thorough check and then they were to report directly to King Mickey for a debriefing.

Up in the castle, Riku was exercising in the training room. He paused when he heard voices drifting past the main doors.

"Yeah, Excalibur came back from a rough mission. She's not looking so good these days."

"I heard one of her crew members is dead."

"Oh god, you serious?" Riku was suddenly alert and running to the doors.

"Who's dead?" he demanded of the two gossipers. They seemed surprised to see him.

"Uh… I'm not sure…" said the one man who had spoken of the dead crew member. Riku dismissed the two and began jogging through the halls towards the infirmary. It was in an intersecting hallway that he saw a gurney being wheeled from the general direction of the shipyards towards the morgue wing. There was a body under a white sheet on the gurney and a rather large blotch of red where blood had soaked through. Riku could just barely see a pale hand and strands of brown hair sticking out at the sides and top edge. He rushed towards the gurney, but several healers stopped him.

"Sir, this is a restricted area," one said patiently.

"Is that Sora?" Riku pleaded, feeling his heart trying to leap out of his chest. "Tell me, is that Sora under that sheet?"

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to back down."

"Just tell me who that is!"

"I don't have that information. And even if I did, I'm not at liberty to disclose that information."

"Then tell me who can! I need to know!"

"I'm sorry…" Riku struggled, but he felt weak and light-headed as the gurney was rolled out of sight. He covered his mouth as he felt panic and bile rise in his throat. What if it _was_ Sora? Riku tried to relax and tell himself it probably wasn't. He ran out to the shipyards hoping to catch someone on duty that saw the Excalibur crew disembark, but no one had any useful information. Riku spied the bloody grate just in front of the ship where whoever had been hurt had lain for a few moments. Riku choked back a sob. What if it _was_ Sora?

Just inside the castle, Sora struggled to stay focused as he discussed with the King what happened on the most recent world, Neverland. Their job was to round up Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and bring them to Radiant Garden where they would be safe and could teach the soldiers how to fly and glide. But the world was in such disarray that contact was near impossible and half the Lost Boys were crazed and deranged, attacking anyone who was a stranger. It was suspected that Peter Pan had been killed earlier on in the war.

At last, the debriefing was over and Sora was allowed to leave. He dragged his feet to the dormitories where all the Disney Castle soldiers lived and slept, only to find Riku slumped outside his door, his head buried in his arms and his shoulders shaking.

"What's up, buddy?" Sora said softly, touching Riku's arm. Riku's head shot up, his eyes wide with astonishment and relief. He looked like he had been crying or having a panic attack. Or both.

"You're alive!" he cried, jumping to his feet and enveloping Sora in a crushing hug. "Oh my god, you're alive! Thank god! I thought you were dead! I thought that was you under that sheet! I didn't know what I was going to do!"

"Riku-"

"I was so scared! Don't ever do that to me again! Oh god, I thought you were dead!"

"Riku!"

"I was so lost without you! Where have you been! No, that doesn't matter! You're alive! God, I love you! Don't do that to me!"

"Wait, _Riku_!" The hallway went silent as Sora pushed out of the hug, his eyes wide as saucers. "Did you just say you love me?" Riku's look of relief dissolved into a look of pure horror.

"NO! I mean! Uh…" He struggled for words, looking everywhere but Sora's face. "I mean… yea, yes, but I totally understand if you don't feel the same… I mean, I was just so caught up just now, and… and…" He was rambling, nervous as hell. Sora nodded insistently to him, urging him to continue. "Oh fuck…" Riku gave up on words and pushed his lips against Sora's instead. Sora's wide eyes fell closed as he plunged into the kiss, forgetting all about the world around him, simply enjoying the moment of solace and warmth spreading across his entire body.

Sora pulled away for only a moment. "I love you…" Relief flooded back into Riku's face. Without another word, Sora lips were back on Riku's, kissing every exposed spot he could find. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's hips, hoisting him up so Sora's legs could wrap around Riku's waist, and pushed him against the door, their lips never breaking contact. Blindly, Sora's hand found the doorknob and twisted it, sending the door flying open and the two young men tumbling into the dorm room. Riku kicked the door shut behind them.

Sora needed this. He needed contact with something familiar and soothing. Something he cherished above anything else in the universe. He needed comfort.

It was a strange new experience for both of them. Breathless kisses, intimate touches, bare skin so soft, the moans and gasps, the shuddering pleasure. It was happening so fast, and yet, it was as if the universe just stopped for them. All they saw, felt, tasted, breathed, and heard was each other, all five of their senses connected. They weren't just making love – their very souls ignited.

Sora panted as he felt Riku moving over him and within him. His heart raced a mile a minute. Hands caressed every inch of skin, kneading, squeezing, clinging as if Riku were his lifeline. Raw passion, intense sensation, fulfillment. A moment of blind lust and forceful pleasure swept across both bodies, heat and excitement and-

_Oh god oh god oh g-_

Sora bit his lip to keep from crying out loudly, his breaths coming in deep waves as he rode out the surge of reactions and emotions, his legs clenching desperately around Riku's hips. Riku shuddered, collapsing atop Sora, a swell of bliss and contentment overtaking the two.

Despite their exhaustion, they didn't sleep. They laid in each other's arms for several hours, softly breathing and listening to each other's heartbeats. Sora traced his fingers down Riku's side, enjoying the sight of Riku's skin bristling with goose bumps each time. Riku played with Sora's soft spiky hair, running his fingers across Sora's scalp and drinking in the purring-like sounds that Sora made in turn. They said nothing because nothing needed saying.

At no point during did either one ever think 'This is a bad idea' and at no point in their future did they ever think '_That_ was a bad idea.' There was nothing to regret.

End

_May 30__th__, 2008_

Riku awoke from a pleasant sleep, rubbing his tired eyes and glancing at his clock. It was 7:30AM. He needed to get up for his mission, but he was so content and warm where he was, under a thin blanket that provided little insulation. It wasn't the blanket, however, that provided the heat, it was the body lying next to him, breathing gently. Riku quietly detangled his arms and legs from his lover, pecked a quick kiss on Sora's forehead, and went to the shower that was adjoined to his room. A moment later, roused by the sound of running water, Sora woke up, blindly searching for the warm spot Riku had just vacated. He sat up, confused for a brief second before remembering what day it was.

When the shower water shut off, Riku came back into the room, dabbing his naked form with a towel, grinning at Sora.

"Hey sleepyhead," he greeted, crawling back into bed with Sora and kissing him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good, of course," Sora beamed. He had the urge to say something sappy, like 'Every night's a good rest with _you_ in the same bed' but he resisted. He hadn't turned into a complete girl yet. It had been over a month since their first night together and he was starting to _really_ enjoy every night that came after.

"Good," Riku whispered, capturing Sora's lips once more. They kissed for a few more minutes before Riku reluctantly pulled away. "If I don't stop now, I'll never leave this room. And then the King will be furious…"

"Let him be furious," Sora said huskily, unwilling to let go of Riku just yet. Riku laughed.

"Yeah, have you ever _seen_ him mad? He's like a fuckin' hurricane! I do _not_ want to get caught in that storm." Riku turned away to get some proper clothes on him while Sora laid sideways, propping his head on his hand and enjoying the view.

"I still don't think it's fair that _you_ get to go to Port Royal. That should have been _my_ mission."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Oh boy, here we go again."

"Oh come on. I know Jack Sparrow! If he's gonna agree to help anyone, it would be me! We have history." Riku's eyebrow twitched.

"History?"

"Oh, not like that, stupid. We fought Barbossa together." Sora sat up and swung his feet out of bed. "Are you sure you want to go? Couldn't you just sit this one out and let me go? Please?" Riku couldn't resist those puppy dog eyes, but orders were orders.

"No."

"Jerk. I challenge you to Rock Paper Scissors!" It took a lot of will power not to burst out laughing at Sora's absurd angry look. Riku folded his arms, unable to resist a challenge.

"Fine." They both held out fisted hands. "Rock, paper, scissors!" Sora held a flat hand. Riku had two fingers extended. "Scissors beats paper."

"Best two out of three." Riku rolled his eyes but held his hand out anyway. "Rock, paper, scissors!" Riku's palm was flat while Sora's was in a fist.

"Paper beats rock."

"Dammit!" Sora paused, looking up at Riku again with his lame pout. "Best three out of five?" Riku groaned.

Seven rounds later, Sora finally accepted defeat.

"I'll see you in a few hours, sexy," Riku called as he walked out the door. Sora glared at his backside.

"You dirty cheater!" he shouted. The door closed with a resounding click, like the final swing of an axe.

Only two hours later, Sora was staring into the face of Pintel, the only surviving crew member of Riku's team. He was numb with shock. His blood felt freezing cold through his veins. He forgot how to breathe.

"He's… dead…?" His voice had never been more child-like.

oOoOo

_Feb. 28__th__, 2007 – Present Timeline_

Sky rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like an immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It was such a relief to finally talk to someone about Riku. He hadn't had someone to share his story with since his Kairi had been killed. Sora had listened to the entire story with rapt attention and without interruption.

"I almost wish I were you," he murmured, referring to the fact that Sky's relationship with Riku had been fuller and closer. Sky kissed his teeth in response.

"No, you don't. And I don't want you to be like me." He turned his head to look at Sora. "You need to handle things better than I did. You're very close to going over the edge. The first step was hiding. The second was lashing out at someone. The third is closing your heart to everyone. You've already hit two out of three. Do _not_ let yourself hit the third step." He stood abruptly, taking Sora's hand. "C'mon. Kairi needs you right now. Riku was her friend too." Sora's face became distorted with anguish and regret.

"I almost hurt her yesterday… How am I supposed to face her now?" Sky thought about it for a moment and grinned.

"Like this!" He made a face by pushing his cheeks flat with his hands, pursing his lips out, and crossing his eyes. It was enough to make Sora pause, remembering the time he did that to Riku, and he started laughing. Sky couldn't hold that face for long before he succumbed to laughter as well. Even though both their hearts were aching so much, they couldn't stop laughing. The 100 Acre Woods animals turned their attention to the laughing pair and smiled, glad to see Sora acting like his usual self again.

"Alright… let's go." Sora was on his feet when the merriment ended and he followed Sky to where the exit point was. Despite laughing on the outside, he was weeping on the inside.

oOoOo

**A/N:**__So got a little flashback going there. I wanted to establish Sky and Riku's relationship at some point in the story and this was the perfect opportunity. Also, many apologies for not going full-blown lemon in this chapter. It was already getting too long as it was (no pun intended) and if I were to do a lemon, I'd want the scene to be 1/4 of the chapter, maybe half at the most. But this was not the time for a lemon, not after a funeral scene anyway. Please stand by for more!


	14. Chapter 14: Goodbye, Hello

**A/N:** Just so you know, NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE chapter. :P I was going to hold off until Friday to post this chapter, but since I lost my job, my schedule unexpectedly opened up and now I have more free time to write. *sad sigh* In the second scene where I put (**music**), a little "Angel's Son" by Sevendust would compliment it quite nicely. It has lyrics, so I would recommend listening to the song a couple times throughout this chapter to really get a sense of it.

**Hourglass**

Chapter 14: Goodbye, Hello

It was a miserable 7th of March. A week had passed since the Battle of Dragon Darkness. A scouting party had been sent to the Land of Dragons to see if it was safe to return. Once they gave the O.K. a larger team was sent to survey the mountain rubble to find bodies that could be sent back to their families. Sora insisted on being on that team. King Mickey debated with him for nearly an hour, feeling uneasy about letting Sora go in his distraught state. It took a lot of convincing and arguing from Sora to get permission. Eventually Mickey relented but only if Kairi came along to keep Sora levelled.

The temperature was a little warmer than a week earlier. This time, the team was dressed for the weather. Sora and Kairi took their time moving rocks aside, digging for hours and feeling sick yet hopeful every time they uncovered an arm or leg. Sora almost didn't want to find Riku's body. He didn't want to see the state it would be in when they found him.

He paused when he found a tattered piece of white cloth. It looked like the one Riku used to wear on his left arm. Sora pouted, throwing it aside, unable to look at it anymore. Kairi glanced at him, worry filling her face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked timidly.

"No…" Sora took a shuddering deep breath. "But I will be." In some way, this was his way of gaining closure. If he found Riku's body, then he'd have something to back bring to Riku's parents and they could bury him properly. If he found nothing, then he could hold on to the hope that maybe Riku made it out, even though the chances were highly unlikely.

After a full day of unearthing bodies, the team decided to call it a day. Sora insisted on staying behind a little longer. Even if he couldn't find Riku's body, if he could manage to find other families' loved ones, it would make a difference in someone else's life. It wasn't until his hands were completely numb, pale with lack of blood circulation, and his fingers tips turning black with frostbite that Kairi literally had to drag him through a light portal and gently warm his aching cold hands by way of a mild Fira spell.

"Don't ever do that again," she berated softly, no anger behind her words. Sora said nothing in return.

About half the missing soldiers' bodies were discovered among the wreckage. Riku was not among them.

oOoOo

(**music**)

Packing Riku's things away was a depressing activity. It was early in the morning and Sora was in Riku's old chambers at Disney Castle, going through his stuff. He found himself doing it slowly, becoming easily distracted by the memories that each object brought up. He would pause, his mind drifting away to happier days. His fingers would linger, unwilling to let go. Kairi stood at the doorway, unsure if she should break his concentration or not. She walked in quietly and sat next to Sora on Riku's former bed, watching him as he pawed at a photo. The photo was recently taken, thanks to Pence. It featured the three of them smiling brightly. Oh, how Kairi wished they could return to simpler times.

"Do you need help?" she asked, unaware of how raspy her voice sounded until the words left her mouth. She cleared her throat, trying again. "You seemed kinda… lost in thought." Sora closed his eyes and placed the photo in a box next to him.

"I guess I am…" He looked at the redhead beside him and gave her a hug. Kairi returned it easily, patting Sora's back gently.

"Which things are you sending back?"

"All the souvenirs he was collecting for his family," Sora responded promptly. "And some of his equipment." Most of the high-ranking soldiers had received armour and accessories specially tailored to suit their needs and specialties. There were very rarely items that could be traded back and forth between people.

"I'll help." Sora didn't argue. He knew if he did this alone, it'd never get done and he'd never give up any of Riku's things. Kairi stood and walked over to a small bookshelf. She eyed the titles, all of them belonging to Riku, books she knew he had probably read multiple times over. When he liked a book, he _really_ liked a book. She pulled a few from the shelf and brought them to the box, placing them neatly in the corner. Sora was going through the drawers, feeling a strange sense of guilt to be going through Riku's things at all, like any minute the silver-haired teen would burst in the room and demand to know why his two best friends were raiding his stuff.

Eventually, all the items fit neatly into two boxes. Kairi helped Sora bring them down to the courtyard where the mouse King and Leon were waiting. King Mickey nodded at them.

"Is that everything?" Leon asked. Sora looked down at the box in his hands and then at the one Kairi was carrying. He nodded. "Alright, I'll bring them to Destiny Island." Sora's eyebrows shot up.

"What?" he shouted. "I thought I was!" Leon shifted uncomfortably.

"Sora," Mickey said gently. "I just don't think it's a good idea. You've been through enough these past few days. Why not let someone else help with your burden?"

"I said I can do it!" Sora was mad and upset. He knew any minute now, he'd break down again and if that happened, he knew they wouldn't allow him to leave the castle for sure. He tried desperately to keep his emotions tamed. "I should be the one to bring his stuff back. He was _my_ friend! _My lo-_" He cut himself off from saying 'love', remembering that only Kairi and Sky knew about his extremely short relationship with Riku. There hadn't been enough time to discuss everything, to figure it all out, to decide if they ever wanted to tell anyone else.

"I assure you, Sora," Leon stated, holding his ground despite Sora's irrational behaviour. "I'll treat this situation with the utmost sensitivity when I speak with Riku's parents. I'll-"

"You don't know Riku's parents!" Sora shouted, glaring accusingly at Leon. "They shouldn't find out from someone they don't know!"

"Sora, please," Kairi whispered.

"No, I'll do it!" Sora felt his knees getting weak as his adrenaline began pumping. "I don't want someone else to take these away!" His voice cracked and his eyes began burning. "Please don't take away Riku's things…" Perhaps it wasn't a matter of _who_ delivered Riku's belongings to his home, it was a matter of reluctance to give up the things in the first place, and Sora was most definitely reluctant to let go. Leon and Mickey observed Sora with a mix of pity and understanding. Finally, Mickey nodded.

"Alright," he relented. "You can be the one. But please take Kairi with you."

"I'll be okay…" Sora murmured, the fight draining out of him. "I can do it alone." It wasn't that he didn't want Kairi by his side, it was just that it was going to be painful enough listening to Riku's parent crying but he didn't want Kairi to suffer as well. If anyone had to tell Riku's parents what happened, Sora wanted to be the one.

"Sora, you shouldn't have to bear this alone," Kairi whispered, taking his hand. Sora smiled weakly at the gesture.

"I'll be fine. This is something I have to do." Kairi nodded solemnly if not reluctantly and passed the box in her hands to Sora. She created a Door for him and backed away a few steps.

"We'll be here when you're done," she said. Sora nodded and walked through the Door.

He arrived on the other side to the sandy beaches of Destiny Island. He stopped a metre from the Door, letting it close behind him, and looked around the beach, feeling a great sense of nostalgia come over him. It had been too long since he had stepped foot on this world. Nothing had changed. Nothing at all.

"Oh my god…" said a voice behind Sora. He spun around, stunned by who he saw. Selphie Tilmitt was staring back, wide-eyed like she was staring at a ghost, her book bag dropping to the ground next to her. A hand rose slowly to cover her mouth. "Sora, is that really you?"

Sora was somewhat surprised that she was reacting this way. But then he realised something that made his stomach feel queasy. He never told anyone where he went. Neither did Riku or Kairi. The three of them had just up and left one morning without saying a word to their family or friends. They had assumed that they would be back within days or weeks at the most.

Sora felt overwhelming guilt. It had been over 6 months. His parents must've thought he was dead or something.

"Hey Selphie," he greeted lamely, unable to think of much else to say.

"Where have you been?" she shrieked, getting over her shock rather quickly. "Your parents have been looking for you all year! We found your boat out by Paopu Island but you were nowhere to be found!" Her eyes filled with tears. "We thought you drowned!" Sora pursed his lips, trying very hard not to get emotional.

"Sorry…"

"Sorry? That's all you can say? Where's Kairi? Where's Riku!" Sora bit back a sob at the mention of Riku's name. Selphie took Sora's hand as her tears spilled over. "Where have you guys been?" Her question was so softly spoken.

"We've been away…" Sora answered, unable to look her in the eye. "We've been fighting… saving the universe…" He snorted a sarcastic laugh. It sounded ridiculous when he said it out loud. But what else could he say? Selphie stared him down with a fierce look, not buying his story at all.

"Did you run away? Were things bad at home?"

"No!" Sora had to take a step back. "No, everything was perfect at home! We just… lost track of time, I guess."

"Well then where are the others?" Sora sheepishly scratched the back of his head. He wasn't prepared to deal with this, but he couldn't ignore or lie to Selphie. She was his friend and she had a right to know the truth.

"Kairi's still back at the castle… a place called Disney Castle." Selphie made a face that suggested she was confused.

"And Riku?" Sora was looking everywhere but Selphie's face. His mind screamed to keep it together, but he just couldn't.

"He's… he's dead." Selphie's mouth fell open in shock.

"No…" Her hand covered her mouth once more. "No, you can't be serious! Please tell me it's a joke!" A single tear rolled down Sora's cheek.

"I wish it were…"

"How?" Sora began shaking his head. He couldn't deal with this. He couldn't.

"I have to go." He made a brisk exit. _Keep it together…Keep it together!_ Selphie called after him, but he ignored her. Despite the turbulent emotions running though him, all he could think was that he was being a rude friend. But he needed to get away from the girl and her questions. He knew it wouldn't be any easier when it came time to explain things to Riku's parents, but he needed a moment alone to think. He hadn't even thought beforehand what he was going to say, but now it was a priority. What was the easiest way to tell a mother that her baby was dead?

Before Sora knew it, he found himself standing on the front porch belonging to Riku's parents. The closed door in front of him was the only thing keeping him from having another breakdown. He knew as soon as it opened, he'd start crying again. But someone had to tell Riku's parents. They had a right to know, just as Selphie did. Steeling his resolve, Sora placed the two boxes he was carrying down on the veranda and rang the door bell. The wait was unbearable. Sora was certain he was going to be sick.

After 30 seconds of waiting, the door opened slowly and a woman with silvery-grey hair peered out. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when her eyes adjusted and she recognized who was standing in front of her. Her face went pale and her eyes went wide.

"Sora?" Her voice was faint and weak. Sora stared back, his mind going blank. Riku's mother struggled for words. "I… Whu… uh, is it you?"

Sora nodded numbly. "Hello, Mrs. Jou." Mrs. Jou blinked a few times. Like a fog lifting from her mind, she side-stepped and invited him in, almost timidly as if she were afraid of scaring him off. Sora retrieved the boxes from the ground and walked in, depositing the boxes in the corner of the foyer next to the hat rack. Mrs. Jou seemed anxious to speak, but covered her mouth with her hand instead because she knew if she opened her mouth, too many words would have started tumbling out before she could form proper sentences. Sora took a deep breath, preparing himself to explain everything.

"I don't need to know where you've been," said Mrs. Jou before Sora could speak. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But I need to know… Is Riku safe?" Sora's heart skipped a beat and before he could stop himself, he burst into tears. It was all Mrs. Jou needed to see to know the answer. "Oh no… Not my baby…" Her eyes crinkled as tears flooded them and she covered her mouth. "Not Riku… Please tell me he's alive!" Sora couldn't hold it in. He couldn't keep it together. He couldn't.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm so sorry! I tried to save him!" Mrs. Jou cried out loud, stumbling backwards against the wall and sliding to the floor. The noise drew the attention of a taller man with pale bluish-grey hair, Mr. Jou. He took one look at the state of his wife and then at Sora.

"Sora?" He was beyond surprised. "What's going on?" he questioned. Sora was too choked up to answer but tried anyway.

"Riku is… he…he's…" Understanding flooded Mr. Jou's eyes, soon followed by misery.

"My son? My son's dead?" He held his head in his hands, trying to cope with the news. Mrs. Jou screamed for her baby, demanding answers from some invisible force as to why it had to be Riku. It was like they were losing him all over again. Mr. Jou attempted to help his wife up, leading her to the living room where she could sit. Sora followed and sat down, hiding his face in his hands. It took nearly half an hour for everyone to calm down enough to speak. Mr. Jou held his wife close, gently rocking her back and forth.

"How did it happen?" Mrs. Jou's timid voice asked. Sora swallowed carefully.

"He… He died a hero." Back when he and Riku had returned to Destiny Island for the first time in nearly two years, they both agreed not to tell their parents where they were because it would have caused too much confusion and skepticism. No one but the trio could remember any of the events that occurred when Destiny Island had been destroyed. It was easier to just let everyone believe that nothing had changed. Now Sora was being forced to explain everything from the start.

"Do you guys remember that big storm that happened back in 2003?" Riku's parents nodded. "That day, the islands disappeared and Riku, Kairi, and I were thrown across the void to another world." As soon as he started speaking, words seemed to string themselves together, forming sentences which in turn formed a story. He told them the bare minimum about the Heartless, the Keyblades, and the war they were fighting right now. He left out the parts where Riku had turned to darkness the first time and betrayed his friends. There was no need to tarnish his image. Sora wanted Riku's parents to remember him for all his purity and goodness. He also left out the part where he and Riku had become a couple because that would have taken a whole other story to explain.

He had to visually demonstrate the summoning of a Keyblade because they didn't believe him. He even created a Door to Light in their living room to show them that travel between worlds was possible.

By the end of the explanation, they were stunned into silence. Sora felt like he was holding his breath, waiting for them to say something. Finally, Mrs. Jou sat up a little straighter, looking Sora in the eye.

"He saved so many people…" She sniffed, rubbing her nose with a tissue. "My baby was a hero…" Sora breathed a little sigh of relief, somewhat glad they weren't taking the news as badly as he thought they would. Worse case scenario, he figured, was that they would have screamed and yelled at him, possibly thrown a lamp or something, but Sora realised just how silly that scenario really was.

He nodded his head in the direction of the discarded boxes in the front foyer. "Those are his things. All the little… objects he's collected in the time we've been gone." It was time to let go. Time to move on, he told himself. He watched as Mr. Jou picked up the boxes and brought them into the living room. The two adults carefully went through them, examining each item carefully, not quite understanding the function of some of it. There were clothes, belts, and accessories with magical properties. There were also shards of rare gemstones and mythril that Riku had intended to give to the Moogles for synthesizing. There were photos of the trio together, grinning happily, unaware of their upcoming fates. Mrs. Jou wept quietly as she looked through each one.

She took Sora's hand gently. "Thank you, Sora… Thank you." All she ever wanted since the day Riku went missing was some closure. Just an explanation. That's all.

When Sora left the Jou's house, it was dusk. The sun was just barely sitting atop the horizon line. No other world, not even Twilight Town, had a more beautiful sunset than Destiny Island. It was one of the things Sora missed about his home but he knew he couldn't come back until he won the war against evil. He watched the sunset for a few seconds and raised his hands to create a Door back to Disney Castle, but he hesitated. He looked over his shoulder down the road. His own house was only a few houses away from Riku's. With a painfully guilty conscious, he wondered how his mother was coping with his disappearance. She would find out later that he had been here but he never thought to say hello. That wouldn't have been fair.

With his mind made up, Sora turned around completely and walked down the road to his own house. The front yard was a little dishevelled, like no one had bothered to cut the grass or tend to the weeds in a while. Sora felt another pang of remorse. Somehow, he knew he was the cause of the unkempt yard. He stood before the front door and raised his hand to knock but stopped. He had keys to his own house, but… it would've been weird walking in like it was nothing. His mother would have a heart attack.

He knocked three times, each a little more timid than the last. It was a brief wait for someone to answer and when the door did open, Sora wanted to run. He didn't know if he could handle another confrontation today. But it was too late to run now. The door was wide open and the one standing on the other side of the threshold was gaping at him, her mouth hanging open speechless.

Then she slapped Sora, hard. Sora blinked in shock.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" she screamed, fury in her tired eyes. "You have a lot of nerve coming back here after months of silence!"

"But mom-"

"Don't '_but mom_' me! Do you have _any_ idea what you've put me through? Even the _slightest _idea?" She wound up her arm to strike Sora again but stopped. Sora was cringing, preparing for the hit that never came. His mother was breathing heavily as tears rolled down her face. "I thought you were dead! I thought you went out to that stupid island and fell into the ocean!" She couldn't maintain her anger for long, sagging against the doorframe. "If you've been alive all this time, why didn't you tell me?" Sora felt horrible. He knew he deserved that slap. Just one look at the state of his poor worried mother and he knew he deserved a lot worse.

"I'm sorry, mom…" His voice wavered. He didn't know what else to say or do that could make up for his silent absence. After a few seconds, his mother sighed, staring at Sora's depressed face, and she pulled him into a crushing hug. They stood there for what seemed like a lifetime. Eventually, she gingerly pulled him inside and into the living room. She wrapped him in a blanket that she found draped over the couch, even though he didn't really need it. They were both silent, him staring at his feet, and her staring at him.

"Well?" she said, breaking the silence. Sora looked up, surprised by the noise. She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell me where you've been?" Sora opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't see why this was so difficult. He had just spent the last hour telling Riku's parents all about the Heartless and Maleficent, so why was it so hard to speak to his own mother? His mother sighed, seeing that Sora was reluctant to speak. "I'll go put on some tea." She got up and walked to the kitchen. "You still take two sugars, right hon?" Sora nodded numbly. "Good."

Sora was left alone in the gaping quiet, staring at the window where a wind charm was hanging. It clinked softly when a breeze blew by, filling the room with a gentle melody. Part of Sora relished the sound, the familiarity, and the comforts of home. That little part of him wondered what would happen if he never went back to Disney Castle, if he just stayed where he was for the rest of his life. Maybe he could forget about it all. He could pretend it never happened and remain blissfully unaware from there on out. He knew that his friends would come looking for him, would try to take him back, and he'd have to put up a fight. And he'd lose. And he'd be forced to face the truth all over again.

Reality squashed that little nagging thought. What kind of a person would Sora be if he forced himself to forget everything that happened? Forget Riku and their kiss?

Sora blinked slowly, his eyes feeling suddenly very heavy and tired. He kicked off his shoes and swung up on the couch, knowing that if his mother caught him with his feet on her nice cushions, she'd kill him, but he didn't care. He was just so tired… He needed to rest his eyes just a moment.

Within seconds, he was asleep.

oOoOo

Sora awoke on a platform floating in a dark void. He looked down at his feet. The platform was made of stained glass, just like the ones with the images of the Princesses of Heart. But this one didn't feature a Princess, it had an image of Riku and all the people he cherished lining its surface. A deep laugh caught his attention and he looked up, surprised by what he saw. Riku was gazing back at him, a smug grin on his face and his arms folded.

"Hey sleepyhead," he greeted warmly. Sora's heart thumped against his chest, his brain still reeling with shock. When it started functioning again, his first impulse was to give Riku a hug, but when he ran at the silver-head, he went right through him. Sora came to a crashing halt and spun around, looking at where Riku's form still stood. "I'm not really here, silly."

"You're… not?" Sora was slow to comprehend the situation around him. He still felt tired.

"Nope," Riku replied. "Well… not in the physical sense, anyway, but my heart's still with you." Confusion clouded Sora's mind.

"Where are you, then?" Riku's grin broadened.

"Who knows, right?" He began walking around the platform with his hands on his hips. "I just thought I'd pay you a visit. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?" Sora shook his head. "I didn't think so. You should work on that." He stopped in front of Sora. "I know it's only been a week, but you need to pick yourself up and keep moving forward. There's still a war going on and the only way you're going to win is to keep fighting." Sora's vision blurred as tears formed in his eyes.

"I… I can't, I can't do it without you, I'm not strong enough, I'm so lost, I-"

"Stop making excuses. It makes you ramble." Riku's grin became tender. He placed a hand close to the side of Sora's face, despite not being able to stroke his cheek, but Sora swore he felt a ghost of a touch. "You can do this. Gimmie your hand." Sora slowly held his hand up and Riku placed his overtop. There was a flash of light and when Riku removed his hand, Sora's had a keychain with a black heart in it.

"Your Keyblade…"

"Hold on to it. Keep 'er safe, okay?" The area began flooding with a blinding light as Sora's consciousness began to wake up.

"Wait, no! I need more time! Don't go!" Riku's form began fading as the light got too bright for Sora to see.

"Take care of it for me…" Riku's voice was getting fainter. "I want it back after!"

"After what?"

In a flash, Sora awoke, falling off the couch he was sleeping on, causing his mother to jump. He looked around, frantic to find Riku but growing sad and disappointed when he realised it was just a dream. He closed his eyes. Something jingled to the ground next to him. His eyes opened. Lying on the ground was a keychain with a black heart. He gawked at it as disbelief swamped his mind.

Without really thinking, Sora summoned his Keyblade. The flash of light and sparkles startled his mother.

"What on earth-" she started. Sora ignored her, unclipped the Oathkeeper keychain and substituted it with the one Riku gave him. The Keyblade flashed as it took a new shape, the form of Way to Dawn. Sora's eyes widened as he got to his feet. How was this all possible? "Sora, what's going on? What is that thing?"

"I have to go…" he murmured, a new sense of determination filling him. His mother's mouth opened to argue but he cut her off. "I have to save the universe. I'll be back, I promise!" He slipped on his shoes, raised his hand to create a Door, and kissed his mother on the cheek. His mother didn't understand, but Sora didn't have time to explain. Somehow, he knew something great or terrible was about to happen. "Tell Kairi's foster parents that she's safe!" The Door lit up the room and he stepped through, allowing it to close behind him.

oOoOo

Sora allowed his eyes a moment to adjust to the shift in lighting as he stepped into Disney Castle's courtyard. Kairi was there waiting for him, just like she said she would. She raised her head when she heard him approach. Her eyes quickly locked on to the Keyblade in Sora's hand – Riku's Keyblade.

"How did you get that?" she asked, her voice sounding breathless and stunned. Sora glanced at it and smiled faintly.

"Riku gave it to me." Kairi looked perplexed by that comment.

"Before he…?"

"Just a few minutes ago." That only furthered Kairi's baffled state. "I had a dream about him, and when I woke up, I had the keychain to his Way to Dawn." Kairi's mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"How…?" she finally managed to say.

"I don't know. But he told me something. He told me to finish this war. So that's what I'm gonna do." Kairi smiled and took Sora's hand.

"We'll do our best to honour his wishes then." There was a warm moment as though everything would be okay eventually. But the moment was broken when Sky ran up to them with a distressed expression.

"I'm really sorry to drag you two into this, but we've got a big problem," he said. Sora and Kairi exchanged glances before following Sky up to the command centre room. King Mickey, his advisors, and several other world leaders were there already staring at half a dozen active monitors on the walls. Each monitor was playing real-time footage of attacks currently underway. Mickey turned to the others.

"Thank goodness," he said. "We just got reports of six different worlds under attack. It looks like Maleficent's stepped up her plans for the invasion. Two worlds seem to be holding their own, but four of them need backup. Can I count on you two to lead in a couple teams to neutralize the threats?" Sora and Kairi nodded. "Good. Kairi, you'll be leading two units into Fantasia." He passed her a file folder containing information on the world and her mission. "Sora, you'll be leading two units into Sherwood Forest. Your contact, Robin Hood, will meet you there." Sora accepted the folder with his mission information. "All your units have already been briefed, so all you need to do is command them. They're waiting for you in the training yards. Good luck."

The two teens made their way down to the training yard where a couple thousand troops were standing. They all stood at attention and saluted when they saw Sora and Kairi. The two shifted uneasily, still not quite used to commanding such an army.

"Uh… at ease…" Sora said. "Units 1 and 2? Ready?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" they shouted in unison. Sora cringed but nodded and opened a Door to Sherwood Forest. He quickly flashed a smile at Kairi.

"See ya in a bit!" he said.

"Take care of yourself!" Kairi insisted. Sora stepped through the Door, followed by his two units.

The moment he stepped foot in the dark forest, Sora felt a flutter of magic around him for a brief second. His magic ring, the one Donald gave him months ago, had activated and changed his appearance to match the world he was in. He looked down at his hands, which had become furry grey paws. He looked very similar to how he looked in the Pride Lands, the form of a lion cub, only this time he could walk on two legs and his clothes were a touch more Medieval. All around him, his soldiers had changed as well, becoming anthropomorphic versions of themselves.

"Sora!" called a voice. Sora saw Robin Hood racing towards him. "Thank goodness you're here!" The fox pointed towards a clearing through the trees and bushes that were alight with flames. Robin's Merry Men were engaging in battle with Heartless that resembled rhinos and elephants. Without a word, Sora joined in the fight, summoning Way To Dawn and immediately plunging it into the chest of one rhino soldier. Once they had dealt with the Heartless in the clearing, they moved on to Nottingham while Robin Hood explained the situation.

"We've had several skirmishes in the past," he said, checking his arrows as he spoke. "Nothing too serious. But then today, their numbers had just tripled! What's worse, they all look like Prince John's men!" Sora frowned. He knew the basic history behind Nottingham. Their rightful king, Richard, had left during the first Heartless invasion nearly 4 years ago and never returned. In his absence, his brother, Prince John, had taken control and forced the people to pay an unreasonable amount of taxes. By the sounds of it, he was now in league with Maleficent and his soldiers were sacrificed to become Heartless.

They arrived at the edges of the village surrounding Prince John's castle. Many rooftops were on fire and the townspeople were screaming, running from their homes.

"My baby!" one rabbit mother cried. "I can't find my baby!" For some reason, this struck a cord in Sora. Her heart-breaking wails rang in his ears. He needed to find this child.

Taking the rabbit mother by the arms, he said, "I'll find your child. I promise!" He turned back to the small army behind him. "Merry Men, search through the village and eradicate any Heartless you find. Units 1 and 2, storm the castle and clear the way." He turned to the red fox next to him. "Robin Hood, you're with me. We're gonna search every cottage and make sure everyone gets out alive. Then we'll find Prince John and get some answers." Robin nodded. Sora clapped his hands once. "Go!" The units split apart to carry out their tasks while Sora and Robin Hood barged into the nearest cottage.

They searched for half an hour. Many had been abandoned on time. Sora used Blizzard to put out the flames on any cottage that was ablaze. In the seventh cottage, they found a scared little rabbit child crying for her mother. Sora scooped her up into his arms and carried her out, telling her everything would be okay. A platoon of elephant guards were waiting for them with crossbows ready. The rabbit girl screamed. They fired.

Sora instinctively brought up a shield to protect himself and Robin. The arrows bounced harmlessly off the barrier. Sora passed the rabbit to Robin and stepped outside of the bubble, slicing through all the crossbows. The elephants drew their swords. Sora did a leg-sweep, tripping two of the elephants into the others while he threw his Keyblade at one. He back-flipped to avoid being struck by one guard's sword and kicked the weapon into the air while he summoned Way To Dawn back to his hands. He quickly sliced the unarmed Heartless in two and moved on to the next. Wasting no more time, he cast a large bolt of lightning through the remaining guards, vaporizing them instantly.

"Let's go!" he barked, waving Robin Hood towards the edge of the village. When they got back to where the townspeople had gathered, the rabbit mother made a squeak of joy. She ran forward and took the rabbit girl into her arms, blubbering and hugging her child close.

"Bless you," she cried to Sora and Robin Hood. "Bless you both!" The little girl gave Sora a tiny hug, smiling brightly. Sora was filled with a sense of gratification so great it made him want to cry. Just one more mother who wouldn't have to suffer the grief of losing her child.

Sora turned his attention back to the castle and jogged off to the moat surrounding it with Robin Hood close behind. The draw bridge had been destroyed earlier, so Sora and Robin dove into the moat and swam across. When they made it over the stone wall, they saw their people fighting a group of enemy Heartless scattered across the castle grounds.

"The way is clear!" shouted Little John, sitting on a group of immobile enemy soldiers with a big grin on his face. "You guys should have no problem getting up to Prince John." Sora and Robin nodded, running into the building and up the stairs to the throne room.

The wooden door to the throne room was locked shut. Robin attempted to kick it down, but the iron bolts holding it shut were too strong. Sora quickly unlocked the door with his Keyblade and ran in just in time to see the back of a figure with moon-kissed hair vanish in thin air. Sora skidded to a halt, blinking as he tried to understand the apparition he just saw. It was dark in the room. The curtains had been pulled shut. Had he just imagined it? Sora shook his head clear and readied his Keyblade while Robin Hood drew an arrow into his bow. In the darkest corner where the mysterious figure had stood and the shadows seemed to congregate, there was a snarling noise.

"Prince John!" Robin Hood shouted. "Your tyranny ends here! We know you've teamed up with the Heartless! Surrender now or die!" The growling got louder and two glowing yellow eyes peered at the pair hungrily. A figure emerged from the shadows – a great animalistic beast on four legs with a black mane and jewels embedded in its skin around the crown of its head. "My god… Prince John's transformed…" The lion-like monster formerly the Prince gave a loud roar. It had lost all traces of intelligence, running on pure instinct. Robin Hood released his arrow, shooting the creature in the leg. Prince John paid it no heed.

"_Firana_!" Sora threw a massive fire ball at the beast, setting it on fire. John howled in pain and lunged at the pair, its massive jaws just barely missing Sora's arms. The two jumped over the prince and landed on the other side of the room. The flames died down as John spun around and dove at them again. Robin Hood threw a throne at the beast's teeth while Sora attacked its legs, hoping to slow it down. John grunted and snapped at Sora, batting him around with its clawed paws and slamming him into a wall. Robin Hood spotted a chandelier above the beast and quickly cut the rope holding it in place. It crashed down on the monster, only stunning it a moment before it shook the debris off and ran at Robin Hood. Robin cringed, unable to find anywhere else to run to.

"_Bind!_" The creature went rigid and collapsed sideways. It hissed and growled, fury swimming through its non-beating dark heart. Sora breathed a sigh of relief. He was just about to finish the creature off when suddenly John was shaking off the effects of the binding spell, crawling back to its feet. "We may have a problem." The beast let another deafening roar rip through the air. Its fur bristled and dart-like spikes shot out of its mane in all directions. Sora and Robin only had a split second to cast Protega to deflect the attack.

The prince swiped at the two fighters, collapsing their barriers in just one hit. Sora high-jumped onto the beast's back and began stabbing his blade into its skin. The prince snarled and shook violently, trying to get the Keyblader off its back. Sora stumbled and drove his weapon into the monster's neck to hold on. He cast Thundana and the beast's entire body was engulfed in electricity. Robin was firing rapid shots of exploding arrows all along the underside the creature, dealing some heavy damage. Once Sora regained his footing, he pulled his weapon out of the monster's skin and bashed it against John's head. Two of the jewels were smashed in the attack and the monster screamed in agony. Sora realised this must've been the prince's weak spot. Before he could exploit the rest, the prince reared backwards, throwing the teen off and into a wall.

"The jewels!" Sora called. "It's the jewels!" Robin nodded and aimed his arrows at the beast's jewelled head. The monster took a deep breath and breathed freezing air at Robin before he could get a shot off. Sora ran in front and cast Firana, negating the cold air. The room filled with steam, making it difficult to see anything. Over Sora's shoulder, Robin positioned his bow again and took aim. Through the vapour, he could barely make out the glint of the gems in the Heartless John's skull. Robin released three rapid arrows at once, each connecting with their intended targets. The creature roared and shrieked, collapsing forward. Within seconds, a dark mist rose from the body until nothing was left of the tyrant Prince John. Sora and Robin took a moment to catch their breaths before walking over to the nearest window, pulling open the curtains to see out to the courtyard. Their allies were just finishing off the last of the Heartless. Thankfully, no more were on their way.

"Thank you so much, Sora," Robin Hood said, shaking Sora's hand appreciatively. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

"Just look after your people," Sora said with a tired smile. He looked back at the ruined throne room. For the briefest of moments, he felt sorry for himself, wishing Riku were there to enjoy this victory, but he shook himself out of his morbid reverie. Riku _was_ there, in his heart. Sora smiled.

oOoOo

By the time Sora returned to the Disney Castle command centre, things had not settled down at all. In fact, five more worlds had come under attack. More squads were sent to deal with the threats. Sky didn't like the way this war was turning out. It felt like time was simply repeating itself for him. They had lost their element of surprise. They had lost their advantage. They were right back where he started.

When soldiers returned from battle, they brought with them stories and rumours. There were whispers that Maleficent had a new general in her ranks, a human-form Heartless with indescribable strength and leadership skills. It swept into the battlefield like a ghost and left very few alive. Its moves were unpredictable, showing up without warning and leaving without a trace. It wielded a sword said to have been crafted by the Devil himself, blood red as though it were never cleaned after each butcher. But no one had seen its face, just glimpses of fresh-snow hair.

"How can we stop a creature when we don't even know when it's going to show up?" Leon announced, his arms resting uneasily on the table before him. The others around him nodded and murmured agreements. An emergency meeting had been called when it became apparent that they were losing control over the situation. "Five worlds!" Leon slammed his fist against the table. "The general has appeared on five different worlds almost simultaneously! It's like this general is everywhere at once, and yet when we try to confront it, it vanishes."

"Who do you suppose it is?" Kairi whispered to Sora. "Maybe it's Sephiroth. Neither he nor Cloud ever returned from their last battle." Sora was lost in thought, thinking back to the mysterious figure he saw in the Nottingham castle. He was sure it was Maleficent's general, and despite not seeing a face, he was sure it wasn't Sephiroth. The one-winged angel's hair was longer and he wore a more distinctive cloak.

"I dunno…" he whispered back to his best friend. "Maybe it's Xehonart's Heartless again…"

"It doesn't matter who it is," Sky murmured. "We've got to set up some kind of trap. Lure it in, bind it, and kill it."

"What do you suggest?" King Mickey asked, clasping his hands.

"The last batch of worlds said to have spotted this human Heartless were minor worlds with no significant military presence. No worlds are attacked twice. In every case, a small handful of survivors were left alive and allowed to come back here to spend the news. It seems to me that this general _wants_ us to know it exists without outright confronting us here in Disney Castle. So I say we plant some of our strongest warriors on all the remaining unharmed worlds and wait to see if the general comes to us. We'll set up a perimeter around the major villages and cities and once the general steps foot on that world, we'll cast Bind, disabling it and giving us time to kill it." The commanders were about to do a vote when suddenly, there was a disturbance just outside the HQ. It sounded like young voices arguing with the guards outside the doors. The commanders exchanged looks with one another. Eventually, the doors opened and one guard apologetically bowed his head.

"Your Majesty, these two kids have some urgent news," he said, keep his head low. King cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Let them in." In walked Pence and Olette of Twilight Town. Pence was bleeding from a head wound and Olette was walking with a limp. Sora and Kairi stood at once, rushing to their aid.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Kairi asked, helping Olette into a chair while Sora healed Pence.

"Twilight Town's been attacked," Pence said. There were a few worried gasps.

"Where's Hayner?" Kairi whispered, fearful.

"He's in the medical wing. He's hurt bad. It was Maleficent's new general. I managed to get a photo…" He seemed hesitant to give Sora the photograph and after glancing at it for only a moment, Sora knew why.

The man standing in the photo, directing the Heartless legions around him, had vacant dark green eyes and the same long moon-kissed hair that Sora saw in Nottingham. In his right hand was a bat-wing styled Keyblade, the Soul Eater. Sora shook as he stared at the photo, unable to tear his eyes away. Finally, his grip on the photo loosened and it drifted carelessly to the ground. The other commanders waited breathlessly for Sora to speak.

"It's… It's Riku…"

oOoOo

**A/N:** O.O You shoulda seen the looks on ALL your faces! It was priceless. I lol'd. :D You do NOT know how hard it was in the previous chapter to not blurt out in the beginning author's note that Riku was still alive. But obviously if I had, it would have taken the fun outta reading the rest, right? I'm sorry for any grievances I've caused you. ;) Anyway, I had to re-watch Robin Hood just to remember which characters were which animals and the general plot. It was rather endearing because I haven't seen that movie since I was about 5 years old. Reliving childhood, FTW! :D Stay tuned for more, folks!


	15. Chapter 15: Appearances are Deceiving

**A/N:** Alright, so maybe the previous chapter was a little predictable. It'd be hard to have a romance story without the leading couple actually together. But I never said it'd be a happy romance. :D Live in fear, folks! It ain't over yet! :D In this chapter, the music I picked was featured in the trailer for an old movie, Romeo Must Die. It's called "Escape" by Craig Armstrong. You can find it on Youtube for easy listening and when I say (**music**), let 'er play! Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 15: Appearances are Deceiving

The Disney Castle command centre was in an uproar. Several commanders were on their feet, shouting, screaming, waving their hands about, and their chairs fallen sideways and forgotten. King Mickey was banging his fist on the table, demanding order and silence, neither which came. Kairi was taking a moment to remember just how to breathe again. Sora was sitting hunched over, the offending photo and cause of the massive disruption lying at his feet, discarded and unwanted. Sky had gone deathly silent until he could no longer stand the juvenile rantings of a room full of angry and scared people.

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP_!" he roared, getting to his feet. The room went so frighteningly quiet that even a pin was terrified of dropping and making a sound, lest it anger Sky further. His eyes roamed across the commanders, daring them to make another noise. They didn't, thankfully for them and disappointingly for Sky. He shifted his focus to Sora and the photograph on the floor. "Let me see that photo." He walked over and picked it up carefully, almost as if he expected the image to change if he moved it too fast. The photo displayed the exact same thing Sora had just saw – Riku wearing a uniform similar to the one he wore under Maleficent's command, pointing towards some off-camera location with a horde of Heartless heading in that direction.

There was no way around it. Riku was the general. He was the one responsible for the recent attacks. He was the one who had murdered hundreds of innocent civilians. He was the one that the Disney army would have to kill in order to stop the attacks.

"He wouldn't…" Sora whispered, still in shock at seeing the one he loved and thought he lost working for Maleficent again. "He couldn't… Not again… Not willingly…"

"That's not Riku," Sky said simply, tossing the photo away. "That's a Heartless. Pure and simple. This changes nothing."

"How can you say that?" Sora demanded, getting to his feet and trying to match Sky's height. "He looks just like Riku!"

"You said it yourself, Sora! Riku was changing. He took control over the Heartless in the mountain base. His heart was becoming corrupted by darkness. He was probably a full-fledge Heartless before you even escaped that world!"

"Even if he were a Heartless, that means he's still alive and we could still save him! Kairi saved me once when I was a Heartless!"

"That was completely different!" Sky hissed. "Your heart and hers were connected. All she did was use the connection to restore your heart. She can't do the same for Riku and neither can you."

"There has to be something…" Sora lost some of his stature, slowly deflating and lowering his head.

"There isn't anything we can do. Riku died in that mountain in the Land of Dragons. That _creature_-" Sky pointed accusingly at the photo on the ground. "That's not Riku. The sooner you realise that, the sooner we can work on our plan and take it out. Get over it." Sora's head snapped up, fury building in his eyes.

"You know, sometimes I wonder who's the heartless around here. Them or you?" With that, he stormed out of the command centre, leaving the room quiet and Sky deep in thought. Kairi had watched the exchange nervously, but the moment Sora left the room, she quickly followed after him.

She caught up with him down the hall, calling his name to get his attention. Sora slowed down just enough to let Kairi catch up, but he didn't drop the angry aura surrounding him.

"I can't believe what he said…" he muttered under his breath. "Asshole thinks he can just write Riku off like it's nothing."

"That 'asshole' is you, y'know," Kairi whispered. Sora abruptly stopped walking. He had never heard Kairi swear before.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying…" Kairi sighed, closing her eyes. "Don't go dismissing everything he has to say…"

"He's not me." There was a strong tone of finality and hatred. "I wouldn't give up on even a shred of a chance to get Riku back. I know it's a long shot, but if he's still alive in some form, then maybe we can still save him."

"Sora…" Kairi was reluctant to continue, unwilling to crush Sora's hopes, but she knew he couldn't go on chasing something that was impossible. "Maybe… Sky's right. No human other than you has ever come back from being a Heartless. We… we can't save him."

"Stop!" Sora shouted. "Stop saying that! We can!"

"No-"

"We just need time to figure it out!" Kairi was close to tears now.

"Sora-"

"I can't lose him! Not again!"

"Listen! I know it's hard to hear and Sky should have been more sensitive, but…" She pursed her lips, looking around before settling her eyes back on Sora's. "You have to let him go or it'll only get more painful." Sora began shaking his head, ignoring what Kairi had to say. "I miss him too! I really do! But that's not Riku anymore! That man in the photo is just an impostor who stole Riku's appearance!"

"No…" Sora leaned against the wall for support. "Why can't we just save him? Why can't we go back to the way things were before?" Kairi found herself short of breath as a lump formed in her throat.

"I dunno…" Her voice was soft and trembling. "This is just the way things are now." She took Sora's hands. "I know it must be difficult… but we can't let that impostor go on wearing Riku's face." Sora looked at her face, knowing deep down inside that she was right. But he couldn't stand losing Riku all over again. Sensing that he would argue, Kairi continued gently. "Riku wouldn't hurt innocent people. And you know he wouldn't want some creature that looked like him to tarnish his image. Right?"

"Right," Sora replied after a moment of hesitation, looking down at the floor.

"So we have stop it. And it has to be us." His head snapped back up.

"What? Why us?"

"Would you really want someone else to do it?" He thought about it carefully. Kairi was right. He couldn't stand the thought of someone else killing the closest thing he had to Riku. He knew he'd resent whoever had to do it. But that didn't mean he was prepared to do it himself.

"I don't think I can…" he whispered, covering his mouth. "Even if it is just a look-a-like, I couldn't bring myself to do it." Kairi pursed her lips, taking a deep breath.

"Then I will." Sora was stunned to the spot.

"No! That's crazy! Kairi, you're a pure-hearted Princess! You can't!"

"Someone has to! We can't let that creature continue its killing spree!" Her tears were returning and she was starting to shake. "Riku was my brother! I won't let some vile Heartless pretend to be the person I trusted my life to! I won't!" Sora went quiet, unable to think of anything to say to counter that. Then he remembered the dream he had about Riku a few days before and remembered the Keyblade he had been given. Maybe that's what Riku had meant about 'I want it back after'. Perhaps he meant for Sora to take on and kill Riku's Heartless.

The Keyblade Master made up his mind quickly.

"No, I'll do it. I'll take care of it." Kairi opened her mouth to argue, but Sora cut her off. "He was my love, Kairi. I don't want some doppelganger killing in his name anymore than you do, but I wouldn't want anyone else to do this, especially not you. You're too pure to have this on your hands." The protest died on Kairi's lips and she nodded slowly.

"I'll be there for you…" She gave his hands a light squeeze. "Okay?" Sora smiled faintly and nodded.

"Okay." They turned their attention back towards the hallway leading to the command centre.

"Should we go back?" Kairi asked timidly. Sora gave a shaky exhale, mulling over his options. Usually when he worked himself up into a good mad and stormed from a room, he didn't like returning back to that room simply out of pure stubbornness. But he knew he had to grow up sometime and stop acting so childish. He gave Kairi a curt nod to indicate he was ready to face the crowd once more. They made their way back to the heavy doors and edged their way inside, hoping not to draw too much attention to themselves and failing quite miserably. All eyes landed on them the moment they were both fully in the room. The conversation had been stern and organized just before the two teens had walked in and now that focus had been redirected, it was dead quiet.

"Nice of you to join us again," Sky huffed, breaking the silence. Sora resisted the urge to less-than-kindly request that Sky die in a fire. "Have a seat." Without a word, Sora and Kairi took their seats. Sky shrugged it off and turned back to the rest of the commanders. "As I was saying, teams of 6 of our strongest warriors will set up here, here, and here." He pointed to three spots on three different maps. "They'll stay stationed there for two weeks or until the Heartless General shows up. If we get word of attacks on other worlds, we'll break formation. Understood?" A unanimous murmur rolled over the assembled group in acknowledgment. "Good. We'll reconvene tomorrow at o-eight-hundred hours to go over specific mission details and assignments for each of you. Dismissed." Everyone rose from their seats and began making their way to the doors. "Sora, may I have a word?" Sora considered briefly pretending to not have heard Sky and keep walking but he had to remind himself that he was attempting to grow up, so he stopped and waiting for the room to clear out until it was just him and Sky. Despite trying not to be childish, he certainly wasn't going to make it easy for Sky by making eye-contact or act friendly. Sky let out a long heavy sigh. "I'm sorry."

Sora snorted sarcastically. "For what? Stomping on my bleeding heart or embarrassing me in front of all the world leaders?"

"Don't be so melodramatic," Sky snapped. He quickly caught himself, remembering that he was trying to apologize here. "I'm sorry for both, alright? I shouldn't have been so callous. I guess I've forgotten just what it was like for the first few weeks after I lost my Riku. Maybe my brain suppressed the memories to protect me."

"Would explain a few things…"

"Stubborn bastard…" Sky chuckled. "I'm trying to apologize here, which, by the way, isn't the easiest thing in the world for me, and you're being a dick." He scratched the back of his head. "But I guess I deserve it."

"Ya think?" Sora grinned a little before recalling that he was supposed to be mad at Sky still.

"I didn't mean everything to come out so badly. I just don't want you to get your hopes up over nothing. It's bad enough losing someone you love only to be presented with a copy that looks and sounds like the real thing, but the only difference is that this copy would sooner slit your throat than kiss you."

"Thank you for the visual."

"My point is…" Sky paused, unused to actually taking back something he'd said. "I shouldn't have told you to get over it because it took me months and I would be one stupid asshole to think that _you_ should be getting over it in weeks. Hell, I don't think even _I'm_ over it yet." Silence descended upon the two as Sora absorbed everything that was said. And then he realised something. Sky had come a long way from being the gruff-n-tough soldier who fell out of the sky on Destiny Islands, cursing and glaring at anything that moved. Well, he still swore a lot and he never dropped his guard, but Sora doubted he would have ever apologized for anything 6 months ago.

Sora rubbed his eyes, hoping it would clear the negativity from his system. "I'm sorry too. You were right about that Heartless General. Kairi and I talked and… I don't want something that looks like Riku to be killing any more innocent people." He took a deep breath. "I'm gonna kill it myself." Sky narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked slowly. "It could be traumatizing."

"I don't want anyone else to have that responsibility. It has to be me." Sora fidgeted before holding his hand up and summoning Way To Dawn. Sky looked it over with a hint of surprise. "He gave it to me in a dream two days ago. I think he wanted me to use it on his Heartless." In a flash, the Keyblade was gone. "You have one, don't you? Your Riku gave you his Keyblade as well?" Sky folded his arms and looked away. He lifted one arm and produced an exact copy of Sora's Keyblade.

"You wanna know where I got mine?" he asked. Sora nodded. "The keychain was found next to his body in my timeline." He dismissed it a moment later. "Not as pleasant as a dream sequence." Sora felt a little awkward for bringing it up. "I understand you feel like you gotta be the one who kills Riku's Heartless. I get it. But don't lose your head, okay? Just report in for tomorrow's briefing for your assignment. You'll be on a team with Kairi, okay?"

Sora nodded. "Thanks, Sky." He approached the door and stopped, looking over his shoulder meeting Sky's eyes for the first time in days, and he smiled. "I mean it. Thanks." Sky blinked, a little caught off-guard.

"No problem…"

oOoOo

Traverse Town was quiet and still, night claiming it. The small hamlet was void of life save six individuals spread out across the town. Sitting on the rooftop of the bell tower in the Second District was Sora and Kairi, their feet dangling over the edge. The stillness and silence of the air was getting to Sora. Or perhaps it was the anticipation and anxiety of what would happen if and when the Heartless Riku actually showed up. Could Sora actually do it? Could he actually bring himself to kill someone he loved? Even if he knew that person was just a lie?

Sora checked his watch. He and Kairi had another 4 hours left in their shift before they would be replaced by Leon and Yuffie. The Mad Hatter and Alice were positioned in the Third District. The plan was that every 8 hours, they would all switch around, giving two a chance to sleep while four were on guard.

So far, they hadn't gotten any word from other off-world allies about anymore attacks. On the one hand, it was a good thing because it meant no further casualties. On the other hand, it meant more waiting and Sora just wanted it to be over with already.

He sighed and rested his weary head on his hands with his elbows on his knees. Kairi stood up and began pacing around the rooftop. Tension was high. The slightest sounds caused Sora to jump and hold his breath, waiting for the inevitable. His heart was beating a mile a minute, despite trying to keep a calm exterior. His fingers twitched with untapped magic, ready to summon his weapon in the event they were ambushed.

"What if he doesn't show?" Kairi whispered as she stopped pacing. "What if he goes to another world first?"

"Then we'll break formation and go to that world," Sora answered simply.

"What if it's another trap?" Kairi's voice was laced with worry. "What if Maleficent knew we'd react this way?"

"I don't know…" Her question made Sora uneasy. "Then we retreat, I guess." The silence settled over them again.

"What if you can't do it?" Kairi finally asked, sitting next to Sora once more. Sora bit his lip, staring down the side of the bell tower. "I could still t…"

"No!" He lowered his voice. "No, I said I would do it, and I haven't changed my mind." He suppressed the urge to shudder. "I'll never be able to move on if I don't…" Kairi watched him without a word. The moment was broken by the sound of their hand radios crackling with static, causing both teens to jump.

"Key and Red, come in," said the voice of Alice. "Do you copy? Over."

"We copy," Sora said quickly into the radio, his hands nearly fumbling with the device.

"Reporting enemy movement in the Third District." Sora's heart stopped just a moment.

"Is he there? Is it Riku?"

There was a hint of hesitation behind Alice's next word. "Yes." Sora didn't need to hear anymore. He leapt to his feet and ran across the roof, jumping to the next one.

"Sora!" Kairi called. "Wait!" Sora paused, looking antsy and nervous. "Are you sure you can do this?" He looked away, dread flooding his features.

"No… But I don't have a choice now." He began running off again. Kairi sighed and followed him. They leapt from roof to roof until they arrived at the one Alice and the Hatter were sitting on. In the middle of the Third District on ground level, a small collection of Heartless were standing around aimlessly awaiting orders. In the centre of the group was none other than the Heartless General Riku, sporting his new militaristic outfit. His face was just as blank as the photo. His eyes were devoid of life. He seemed to be waiting for something. Sora watched him carefully, planning in his head what his next course of action would be. A few seconds later, Leon and Yuffie arrived, looking a little tired but alert none the less.

"Is that him?" Yuffie asked softly, pointing at the doppelganger on the street level. Sora nodded.

"Leave him to me," he whispered. Yuffie and Leon exchanged glances.

"We should wait for reinforcements," Leon stated. "I've already contacted Disney Castle."

"And by the time they get here, Riku will be long gone."

"Doesn't it seem odd that he only brought like a few dozen Heartless with him?" Leon pointed out. It _was_ unusual. Based on what earlier reports had been saying about the General, he usually came in with thousands of soldiers, commanding them to do most of the work. Why would he bring so few today? (**music**)

"I think he's challenging you," Alice said to Sora. "He _wants_ you to face him. Maybe that's what it was all about in the first place." The others stared at Alice with varying degrees of interest and surprise. "He purposely left survivors on each world that would be able to pass the news on to you with the intention of luring you out into the open." She pursed his lips, looking back at the crowd of enemies. "I think it's a trap."

"If it's a trap, then we've already fallen into it," Sora answered. "We may as well ride it out to the end." He stood up straight and summoned Way To Dawn to his hands. "I'm going in. You guys try to take out the Heartless around him." The others nodded, somewhat reluctant, and readied their weapons. Sora jumped down first, using Glide to land on his feet. The others were close behind and wasted no time running into the crowd.

Without a word or signs of alarm, Riku raised his arm, pointing at the warriors of light, and the Heartless immediately attacked. The crowd dispersed and clashed. Alice whacked the closest one with her Jabberwock staff and fired a pulse at another. Yuffie threw her shuriken at two shadows, knocking them down while Leon shot them with his gunblade. Kairi sliced through a few, giving Sora an opportunity to get to Riku. The moment the two male Keyblade Wielders were within range of each other, the others felt a tremendous force push them back and a Dark Protega shield erupted around the duelling Masters.

"Sora!" Kairi cried out, slamming her Keyblade against the barrier.

"I'll be fine!" Sora called, still focusing on his opponent.

With shaking hands, Sora raised his Keyblade above his head and brought it down on Riku. The silver-haired young man deflected it with his Soul Eater without even thinking. The recoil caused Sora to stumble back a little, but he wound up for another strike. Riku effortlessly dodged and drove his own weapon at Sora, missing the brunette's torso by a mere few inches.

Sora pushed Riku back, pointed his Keyblade at him, and shouted, "_Bind!_" A green light enveloped the Heartless look-a-like and when it died down, Riku was still standing. He flexed his shoulder muscles easily and raised his Soul Eater to attack again. Sora blinked in confusion. "You gotta be kidding me…" Riku sprung forward, only giving Sora a split second to defend himself with a Protega shield. With magic-tingling hands, he threw a fireball at the older. Riku cut through it and summoned his own dark magic to contend with Sora's. Back and forth, they exchanged spells and swords, neither gaining the upper hand. On the outside of their little battlefield, Riku's minions fell to the warriors of light. Riku's eyes flickered to his fallen brethren only for a moment, but he seemed unbothered. That was when everyone heard a loud whistling noise. All heads but Riku's looked up.

"Missiles!" Leon shouted, instinctively raising a magical barrier around him and his allies. From the skies above, half a dozen slim missiles plummeted to the ground and impacted on the surface, exploding on contact. The Third District lit up like New Years Eve fireworks.

When the flames and smoke cleared, two blue-ish-clear domes remained, their occupants unharmed. Yuffie, the Hatter, and Alice were kneeling on the ground, having lost their footing, while Kairi and Leon held their hands up, keeping their bubble intact. Riku seemed unconcerned, as if it required very little effort and concentration to keep his own Dark Protega spell going. The buildings around them were ablaze, crumbling and collapsing in slow motion.

Sora glared at the impostor before him, realising that the other Heartless were only decoys meant to distract them while ships in orbit in the dark realm lay waste to Traverse Town. They had played right into Maleficent's hands. Sora should have known. He knew that Maleficent would have been procuring information from the Heartless Riku, now that the silver-hair creature was on her side. But part of Sora just wanted to believe that Riku was stronger than that.

"Kairi, get the others out!" Sora called.

"We're not leaving!" Kairi replied. "You know that!"

Another whistling noise infiltrated everyone's ears, followed by another round of missile attacks. Sora was momentarily distracted by the explosions ripping through the air above his head, giving Riku a chance to catch him off guard. He ran forward almost faster than the human eye could follow and narrowly missed slicing open Sora's neck, just barely grazing the skin. Sora cried out in surprise, tumbling backwards and kicking Riku in the stomach on the way down. He clutched his throat where the tip of the Soul Eater had nicked him and rolled to the side, avoiding the General's next attack. Riku stabbed the ground next to where Sora was. Jumping to his feet, Sora cast Thundana, electrifying the entire surface within their bubble. Riku stiffened as volts of electricity coursed through his body, but when the spell died down, he was still standing. Sora's jaw dropped open.

"How are you still alive?" That spell would have vaporized an ordinary Heartless. Sora was done underestimating his enemy. He charged up his Drive and transformed into his Final Form, donning the familiar silver and black outfit that gave him indescribable strength and mana. Way to Dawn and Oblivion revolved slowly around Sora like electrons around a nucleus. Riku, despite wearing a blank facial expression of indifference, seemed… eager by the prospect of a real battle. Sora swore he saw just a hint of an eyebrow raise before Riku used his own Drive technique to change into his own ultimate form, black with hints of blue and yellow accents. It would seem Maleficent's knowledge on how to manipulate and enhance wearable equipment was as impeccable as the other fairies from the Enchanted Dominion. The younger was surprised by this development.

Keyblades clashed in midair, being controlled by their owners from a distance. Sora had to struggle to keep up, his Drive Gauge whittling down quickly without the aid of two partners. The Soul Eater, being Riku's only weapon, was doing surprisingly well against Sora's Way to Dawn and Oblivion. It deflected all of Sora's attacks and still found time to take the offence. With Sora's eyes trained on the swords battling it out, Riku pulled a small concealed dagger from his belt and threw it at Sora. The brunette noticed it just a moment too late, catch a glint of the blade hurtling towards him. He cried out in pain when the dagger embedded itself in his shoulder. Outside the force field, Kairi shouted Sora's name, but Sora couldn't hear. His ears were starting to ring with all the explosions around them and the blinding pain in his shoulder.

The Final Form wore off and Sora collapsed on the ground, clutching his wounded bloody shoulder. His two Keyblades clattered to the ground uselessly. Riku directed his weapon at the fallen soldier. Sora clenched his eyes, summoning a quick Protega spell to block the attack. Taking a moment, he pulled the blade from his skin, tossing it aside, and then murmured a healing spell. Riku was already charging him again, his movements becoming erratic. Sora cast Blizzana on Riku's floating Soul Eater, knocking it aside as he called his own two Keyblades back to his hands and launching forward to cut the Heartless down. He was pushed back by a Dark Aura blast, which whacked the Keyblades from his hands. He only glanced at them for a moment before attacking Riku with his bare hands, punching the older repeatedly across the face. Riku was taken by surprise, not expecting the ferocity behind Sora's attacks. The force of Sora's charge caused Riku to drop out of his Final Form.

Sora was desperate to get this over with. His heart felt like it was bleeding and screaming in agony after every punch and kick he laid into the person before him. It was tearing him apart inside. His fingers clenched around Riku's neck, forcing them both to tumble to the ground in an ungraceful heap. He needed it to be over. He needed this monster to just disappear, like every other Heartless. They rolled and struggled, both trying to get the upper hand, their magic and weapons forgotten about and only the adrenaline fuelling their attacks. Sora pinned Riku down, hands still wrapped around the other's neck tightly. Just a few more seconds and it would be all over. Then Sora could move on. He felt his eyes were burning with unshed tears. Just a few more seconds!

But then suddenly, the brunette froze. He felt something beneath his fingertips.

Despite the frenzy of battle and the shaking adrenaline pumping through his veins, he felt a tiny little tremor. Something he wouldn't have noticed if not for his hyper-sensitivity at that exact moment. He felt a pulse.

_Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum._

Riku's heart was racing.

Riku's _heart_ was beating.

Sora jumped back, shock rippling across his entire body. Riku rolled over and began coughing, trying to catch his breath. Sora watched the silver-haired teen with wide eyes as his brain tried to process what this could all mean. If Riku had a heartbeat, it meant his heart was still beating, obviously. But if his heart was beating, it meant that his heart was still there, still alive, uncorrupted and not lost to the darkness. He wasn't a Heartless. When Sora realised that final piece to this remarkably easy puzzle, he felt nauseous.

Riku wasn't a Heartless. And Sora had nearly killed him.

It felt as though someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the bubble they were encapsulated in. The moment passed quickly and Riku was regaining his strength, diving at Sora to attack.

"Riku, stop!" Sora cried, holding the other back. He was at a loss as to what to say to get the other to stop. He was still sorting out how it was even possible for Riku to be working for Maleficent seemingly of his own free will and not because he was a Heartless. Maybe Sora was mistaken. Maybe it wasn't a pulse at all and he only thought it was because he truly wanted to believe that Riku was still alive.

The older teen ignored Sora's request, driving his fist into Sora's stomach. The wind was knocked from his lungs and he tried weakly to push Riku off him. When his hands pressed up against Riku's chest, he felt the thumping beat of a heart once more, confirming his belief that Riku was indeed not a Heartless. The older teen took a few steps back, summoning the Soul Eater back to him and casting Firana. The black flames licked at Sora's skin, causing him to yelp and jump back, quickly casting a Blizzard spell around himself to negate the blaze. He summoned both Keyblades back to him and cast two Bind spells on Riku, but neither took full effect, only slowing Riku down momentarily.

Sora couldn't continue fighting, not knowing what he knew now. He needed time to thinking it over.

"Kairi!" he shouted. Outside the Dark Protega bubble, Kairi and the others were still waiting in their own protective barrier. Yuffie and Alice had taken over the Protega spell while Kairi and Leon were recharging their mana. The Third District was an absolute disaster zone. "Pull back! We're leaving!" She seemed astonished by this order.

"But-"

"I'll explain later!" In the few seconds it took to deliver that message, Riku was viciously attacking again. Sora deflected a few strikes before jumping over Riku and forming a Door to Light on the ground behind the silver-haired teen, slipping through before Riku could figure out what happened.

Sora landed roughly in the Light Realm, taking a long moment to catch his breath and let the warmth of the realm rejuvenate his soul. Within seconds, another portal formed near him and Kairi and the others ran through. Kairi dropped down beside Sora, taking his hands.

"Are you okay?" she asked quickly. Sora looked upset, but his face shifted into one of relief and then happiness.

"Yeah…" he replied. "Yeah, I'm great!" Kairi grew confused.

"What happened? Why didn't you…?" She couldn't finish that sentence.

"Because I would have killed Riku." Kairi pursed her lips nervously.

"Sora, we've been over this. That's not Riku-"

"It is! It really is!" Sora sat up, ruffling his own hair into some semblance of order. "I felt his pulse! Kairi, he's not a Heartless! I think he's been brainwashed!" The way he spoke, it was almost as if he were giving good news. Kairi leaned back, completely shocked by this revelation.

"Brainwashed?" She seemed somewhat skeptical.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I _know_ he's not a Heartless! Heartless don't have heartbeats!" He began laughing. "We can save him, Kairi! We can get him back!"

oOoOo

A/N: So bit of a short chapter here. I hope the battle didn't seem too rushed or too drawn out. Whenever I write fight scenes, I always write them like they would play out in a movie, but I'm not an action director, so sometimes my imagination isn't that creative or awesome. I guess I should have thought about that before starting an action/adventure story, eh? XD


	16. Chapter 16: Follow Me

**A/N:** For this chapter, I have Rob Dougan's "Will You Follow Me?" picked out. You know the drill. Where it says (**music**), let it play. You won't be disappointed! :D

**Hourglass**

Chapter 16: Follow Me

Sky stared with a healthy amount of cynicism. His first thought was to ask 'Are you sure?' but he knew Sora wouldn't be telling him this news unless he was absolutely certain. His next thought was to say 'Well fuck', which he did.

"My thoughts exactly," Sora replied, beaming. "So can we save him?" He, Sky, and Kairi were discussing what happened on Traverse Town. Many of the commanders were regrouping after the battle and debriefing with the King in the command centre. Although there had been no casualties, Traverse Town was now on the blacklist of worlds. There wasn't anything left to reclaim. The Keyblade trio were standing just outside the room, waiting for the debriefing to end so they could discuss the matter of Riku with the King personally. Sora insisted on speaking privately with Sky about his discovery, in case he was very wrong.

"He's just been brainwashed, right?" Kairi asked. "There must be a way to un-brainwash him!" Sky frowned, thinking carefully before looking up and snapping his fingers.

"It's that spell!" he exclaimed. "Maleficent's already developed her mind-control spell!" He hissed, clenching his fist. "I didn't think she had that power so early on in the war. So much has changed between then and now…" He shook his head and looked up, his expression a little less annoyed. "Remember how I told you the Bind spell was developed to stop people under her thrall? Well we also developed a counter-spell to break the mind-control." Sora brightened considerably.

"Are you serious?" He was suddenly so happy that he could kiss Sky. The prospect of getting Riku back was getting brighter and brighter by the minute.

"There's a drawback." The mood dropped like rock. "If one doesn't perform the spell just right, it could have some nasty results." Sky tapped Sora's forehead, as if to demonstrate.

"But you know how to do it, right?" Sora asked eagerly. Sky sighed.

"Not exactly…" He shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but Sora's face. "I wasn't a healer, I was a warrior. My job was to bring 'em to the healers to deal with. I only performed the spell maybe three times in my life and two had bad consequences." He scratched the back of his head and held up four fingers. "You're looking at four different negative outcomes here if you get the spell wrong. One, the spell fails altogether and Riku is still under Maleficent's control. Two, the spell causes severe brain damage and Riku ends up a vegetable for the rest of his life. Three, the spell hits the wrong part of the brain and gives him memory loss, but otherwise he's free. Or four, the spell kills him." Sora choked and Kairi gasped.

"Kill him?!" Sora took a deep breath, folding his arms. "So the stakes are rather high. How can you be sure you do it right?" Sky shrugged.

"There's no way to be sure." The doors to the command centre opened at that moment and the various world commanders filed out. Sora watched them leave with a hint of anxiety. Once they were all out, it was Sora's turn to speak with the King. He walked in with Sky and Kairi. The King was sifting through documents spread out across the large oval table.

"Hey fellas," he greeted, looking up only for a moment. "Just give me a minute to clear these up." He stacked the sheets together and put them in a file folder. "So from what Leon and Alice told me, you had an encounter with Maleficent's general?" Sora nodded, taking a seat.

"He wasn't a Heartless…" he said quietly. The King froze his movements, staring blankly at the filing cabinet in front of him.

"How could you tell for sure?"

"There was a pulse." Mickey was slow to resume his movements.

"I see…" He sat down at the head of the table. "Were you able to figure out _why_ he's taken the side of the enemy?"

"It's a form of mind control, Your Majesty," Sky spoke up. "In my timeline, Maleficent used our own people against us. It took a few years, but we found a way to Bind them and reverse the effects."

"Can the same be used on Riku?"

"I'm not sure…" Sky looked at Sora. "In order to assure the best chances of positive results, we'd need him to be immobile. You said you tried Binding Riku several times, but the spell didn't work."

"He overcame the effects quickly," Sora answered promptly. "But if we had several people casting the spell, we might be able to immobilize him." The King clasped his fingers together.

"How many people are you thinking?" Sora gave that question some serious thought.

"Five, maybe six people. We'd need a lot more to keep his minions off our backs."

"And it would need to happen soon," Sky added. "The longer we wait, the more permanent the mind control becomes."

"You didn't tell me that part!" Sora groaned.

"Didn't I?" Sky look a little confused before shrugging it off. "Well whatever. It's been about 9 days since the battle of Dragon Darkness, so there's still a good chance we can use the counter-spell, but if we wait any longer, I can't say the same thing."

"So," the King began saying. "What you're asking of me is to commit the resources of our army to rescue a single person." The tone in his voice made Sora nervous and the way he worded his statement made Sora feel even worse. "Am I correct?"

"…Yes…" He didn't like where this was going already. The King closed his eyes, mulling it over in his head.

"Request denied." His answer made everyone gasp.

"You can't be serious!" Kairi cried.

"Denied?!" Sky growled, standing up.

"How could you say that?" Sora yelled, balling up his fists.

"I'm sorry," Mickey replied evenly, keeping his demeanour cool. "But you must look at it from my perspective. We lost an entire world to Maleficent! It'll be years before Traverse Town is habitable once more! And more importantly, we could have lost six of our strongest warriors, two of which were Princesses of Heart. It was foolish of me to agree to such a plan. I'm afraid I can't make another foolhardy decision like that again." He paused, giving the others a chance to think about what he was saying. "I want Riku back just as much as you fellas do, but I'm not about to endanger many lives in the process. I have to put my responsibility to this army and the survival of life across the universe above my own feelings for one individual. Do you understand?" The three wanted to argue, they really did, but the small king brought up a good point. And it was hard to argue against that.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Sora whispered. "This is Riku we're talking about here." His voice gained a bit of strength. "We can't just let him go."

"Need I also mention the security leak?" Sky said. "Riku's under Maleficent's control, so that means she knows everything he knew. We can't let that go unchecked. Not to mention that he's a powerful ally for Maleficent to have. Do you really want her controlling a Keyblade Master?" Mickey looked distressed, turning to the filing cabinet where he had just stored the documents pertaining to the recent missions.

"The commanders and I were discussing a full-fledge attack on the World That Never Was. All our resources are being committed to that."

"What makes you think we stand a chance?" Sky growled.

"Just a month ago, you told me our army was ready."

"Things have changed rather drastically since then, wouldn't you agree?"

"Nevertheless, we're launching the attack in one week's time. We've dawdled long enough. If you happen to encounter Riku during the battle, you're more than welcome to try recovering him, but be prepared to take him out if absolutely necessary."

"One week may be pushing it," Sky warned. "If we're going to attempt a rescue, we need to do it now!"

"And I've already denied your request! I'm sorry! This is my final word. Your orders are to stay put and wait for the attack next week."

"But Your Majesty-!"

"Dismissed." That single word abruptly ended the conversation and any further disputes. Sora and Kairi were left with their mouths hanging open, unable to believe that the King would so harshly dismiss them. Sky looked utterly murderous.

"You heard the King…" he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Let's go, you two." Without so much as a fight, he turned heel and left, much to the surprise of the two teens. They followed him out, speechless. Sky walked with a brisk pace, marching down several corridors, turning corners that didn't seem to be leading anywhere. Sora and Kairi continued to follow him, despite the lack of direction. They naturally assumed he was fuming and walking was his way of calming down. But it got ridiculous when they were strolling down a hallway that they had already walked down just a few minutes earlier.

"…Sky?" Sora said, placing his hand on Sky's shoulder. Sky stopped walking abruptly, causing Sora to shrink back and expect a smack.

"Gear up, we're leaving in ten minutes," the older said instead. Sora and Kairi had to pause to think about what Sky just said.

"What?!" they gasped.

"We have direct orders to stay here," Sora said.

"Fuck orders!" Sky snapped, rounding on Sora. "Are you really gonna let this opportunity slip past us? We're getting Riku back. Either gear up and help me or stay behind. Your choice." He walked away with a little more purpose and direction, heading towards the armoury. Sora and Kairi exchanged glances before rushing after the man. Within ten minutes, they were equipped with magic-enhancing accessories and defensive armour.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Kairi asked, flexing her arms. "Where do we even begin to start looking for Riku?"

"We don't," answered Sky. "He'll come to us. I think he'll be drawn to the power of the Keyblade. It's how he knew Sora was in Traverse Town. The only thing probably stopping him from tracking Sora here is the defence system." He pulled a metal bangle over his forearm. "As for the 'how', you two work on immobilizing him. Do whatever it takes! Hold him down if you have to. Just make sure he isn't squirming when I try to perform the spell. I don't want to risk fucking up his brain." There was a click noise as he clipped a belt around his waist. "I'll show you guys how to cast the spell in case for some reason I'm not able to."

"Er…" Sora muttered. "Is that such a good idea? We're inexperienced. How do you know we'll get it right if we need to use it?"

"The truth is I don't. But I'd rather you knew at least _how_ to use the spell and not need to use it than have a need to use the spell and not know how. Understand?" Without waiting for an answer, Sky took Sora's right hand and placed it on his forehead. He positioned his fingers meticulously, thumb centred between his eyebrows and forefinger an inch above. "Forefinger here, thumb here." He released Sora's hand, pulling it away as he did so. "Now you try." Sora fidgeted slightly before repositioning his fingers on Sky's forehead. "Wrong. You just fried my motor skills."

"What?" Sora groaned. "This is where you put my fingers!" Sky sighed patiently and shifted Sora's fingers an eighth of an inch over. "Are you serious?"

"The brain is a _very_ sensitive organ. If you don't point the spell _exactly_ right, well… I already told you what could happen." He pulled Sora's hand away from his head. "Now try again." Sora clenched his jaw and slowly moved his hand back to Sky's forehead, placing his fingers with a bit more thought put into it. "Close. This finger-" He moved Sora's forefinger slightly to the left. "-is a little off. But otherwise you got it." Sky turned to Kairi. "Your turn."

After walking Kairi through the positioning of fingers, Sky moved on to the next step, which was teaching them how to actually cast the spell.

"The incantation is _Eximo_," Sky explained. Sora made a funny face.

"Release?" Sky cocked an impressed eyebrow.

"I see your Latin is getting better." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "You must relax your mind and focus all your light into your fingertips. The spell is a lot like giving someone a jolt of electricity, but you're using pure light instead." He demonstrated by holding his hands up and murmuring, "_Eximo._" A tiny spark emitted from his forefinger and thumb. "Just like that." He took Sora's hand and placed it in his own. "Go ahead and try it out." Sora looked uncomfortable.

"Won't I hurt you if I get it wrong?"

"It's my palm, Sora, not a major organ. I'll be fine." Sora nodded and took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts and focusing drawing his light into his fingers.

"_Eximo!_" he recited. Nothing happened.

"Focus. Try again."

"_Eximo!_" Sora said a little more forcefully. There was a tiny burst of white light.

"A little more. You almost got it."

"_Eximo!_" Sora's thoughts were entirely focused on the success of this spell and the chance it would work on restoring Riku. Sky made a noise of approval.

"You got it, kid. Kairi, you're next." It took her two tries to successfully pull off the Eximo spell. "Alright, I think we're as prepared as we're ever gonna be. Ready?" Sora and Kairi nodded, determined to get their silver-haired friend back. Sky opened a Door to Light and stepped through. Kairi moved to follow, but Sora grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "We could get in a lot of trouble with the King going AWOL. And it could turn out to be a suicide mission!" Kairi sighed patiently.

"He's my brother, Sora," she said. "Don't even ask if I'm sure. I am." Sora smiled and gave her a hug. They turned back to the Door and stepped through.

oOoOo

After blinking the white spots out of their eyes, Sora took a look around to see what world Sky had taken them to. It was none other than the Deep Jungle world of Tarzan. They were standing in a clearing next to a river. Several hippos were wading in the waters, snorting and grunting as they cooled themselves. The sunlight streamed through the trees and vines in patches.

"So why Deep Jungle?" Sora asked.

"Why not?" Sky answered. "Seemed as good a place as any to draw Riku out." He looked up, getting a bearing on their position. "Let's get to higher ground." He spied a low-hanging branch and jumped up, expertly climbing the tree until he was high enough to latch onto a vine and swing up to a higher set of branches. Not one to be left behind, Sora and Kairi caught up, breaking through the canopy of leaves and twigs within minutes. They sat precariously on the edge of a thin branch, high enough to see a good few miles around, in case Riku made an appearance.

And sure enough, after about 15 minutes of waiting, there was a noise underneath them, like wind through a tunnel. A portal had opened somewhere. Sky held a finger to his lips, indicated he wanted the other two to be silent. Below at ground level, a twig snapped. Sky made a quick jerking motion with his hand, motioning them to follow as he jumped from his perch. He landed a few branches lower, giving them an ideal spot to see the ground. There were about 20 Heartless on the ground, monkey-looking creatures with midnight fur and the traditional golden eyes. Riku was with them, vacant as always. Sky nudged Sora and Kairi, pointing to the Heartless.

"Take them out first," he mouth silently. Sora and Kairi nodded. Sky did a muted countdown from three. At one, they leapt from their hiding position. With a great amount of stealth, they landed on the ground behind the Heartless, taking them completely by surprise.

Sky wasted no time casting Firana, his firebird ripping through most of the Heartless before they could roll out of the way. Riku simply stood by, a Dark Protega shield already around him. Several monkey creatures jumped up, quick as lightning, and flailed their clawed arms at the light warriors. Sora blocked their attacks with his Keyblade, batting them away and impaling the closest ones. Kairi fired off pulses of Light Aura from her hand, taking out the rest. Riku watched on without so much as a flicker of worry or concern for his brethren. He raised his arm up and the ground erupted with a shower of rocks and dirt, momentarily blinding the other three and giving him some cover as he attacked. Sora coughed with he felt the hilt of the Soul Eater slam into his chest, knocking him a good couple yards back. Sky and Kairi cast _Bind_ at the same time, but just as Sora's spell had no effect, the same happened this time as well. Sora was back on his feet in no time, rejoining the fight. Around them, more dark portals were forming. Riku's reinforcements were arriving.

Sora suddenly found his attention split between fighting Riku, looking for an opening to pin Riku down, and defending against the new wave of Heartless attacks. He grunted when an explosion impacted against his back. Turning around, he spotted a Sniperwild Heartless in the tree. He quickly cast Stop and jumped up, taking it out in just a few hits. A second later, two more Sniperwilds appeared. He cast Stopra, freezing them before more could appear and slicing them to ribbons. Another three appeared, forcing an irritated groan from Sora.

Over on the other side of the clearing, Kairi was whacking Heartless left and right. A pesky Wizard Heartless swooped overhead, sprinkling Kairi with a cold mist that slowed her movements down. She found that the harder she tried to move, the slower she would actually go. Pretty soon, her arms felt like dead weights and they dropped beside her, dangling uselessly at her sides. She glared up at the nuisance and released a burst of pure light, zapping the flying Wizard and watching with a hint of satisfaction when it dissolved. Its spell wore off quickly and Kairi was back in the fight.

Sky cast a large bolt of electricity on a group of Powerwild Heartless, dispersing them quickly. He rolled out of the way of one as he cast Aero over himself and jumped over another Heartless. His focus wasn't entirely on them, though. His eyes were on Riku, making sure the silver-haired teen didn't use the distractions to slip away unnoticed. Thus far, there didn't seem to be a need for him to get away. The Heartless were doing a fair job of diverting the Keyblade Wielders' attentions. Riku, for the most part, was sitting the battle out, simply watching as his soldiers fought on. (**music**)

Motion in the clearing stopped when a sudden deafening roar ripped across the jungle, followed by a loud thumping noise. All eyes turned to the source, a horde of angry gorillas banging on their chests. Tarzan was leading them at the front, grunting at his tribe and pointing at the dark creatures surrounding Sora and his friends. The gorillas charged in, bashing the Heartless into the ground and chasing them off.

"Sora," greeted Tarzan in a guttural sort of voice. "We help." Sora smiled and turned his full attention on Riku. The older teen seemed oblivious to his minions' imminent defeat but was at least aware enough that Sora was fixating him with an intense stare. He pushed off the tree trunk he was leaning against and readied himself for a fight.

Sora opened with a few quick swipes, all of which were deflected. He pushed his Way To Dawn against Riku's Keyblade, straining at the effort. A fireball from the left pushed him off Riku. Sora whipped around, finding the source to be a Red Nocturne floating overhead. That split second diversion was enough for Riku to gain the upper hand, slashing Sora across his abdomen. Sora cried out in pain, gripping the wound tightly and casting a quick Protega around himself. He tried casting a Curana spell on himself, but the magnitude of the wound was too great to be healed and he wasn't completely focused. Someone like Kairi would have to heal him, but she was on the other side of the large clearing, dealing with the remnants of Heartless subordinates. He ripped off his jacket and tied it securely around his torso, staunching the bleeding for now. His vision was a little blurry.

Sky threw a wild Heartless off him and set it on fire without a moment's hesitation. He looked around for where Riku had gotten off to and saw Sora slumped over, holding his stomach while Riku was attempting to beat down the Protega shield around the brunette. Sky ran over, body-checking Riku to the ground and pinning his neck in place with the broad edge of his Oblivion Keyblade.

"Be a good little boy and don't move," he said, freeing one hand to press his fingers to Riku's forehead. Without both hands on Oblivion, Riku was able to free himself from Sky's grip and throw Sky off him. He put his hand flat against the ground and manipulated the surface, causing the terrain to shift beneath Sky's feet. The older man had no warning when the ground suddenly rose up, like a platform of earth beneath him, tossing him across the jungle. Riku turned to the gorillas still fighting the Heartless. He flicked his hand slightly and the ground opened up, dropping the gorillas down into a pit. Tarzan was able to latch onto a vine just as the ground beneath his feet disappeared. He swung himself over Riku, landing on a tree and springing into action. Riku effortlessly knocked him down and out.

At last, he turned to Kairi, levitating a large boulder out of ground and throwing it at her. She split it down the centre with her Keyblade. When the boulder crumbled away, Riku was waiting right behind it, Soul Eater plunging forward to decapitate Kairi. Her breath caught in her throat but she managed to duck backwards in time, watching in slow motion as the Soul Eater's blade just barely grazed her nose. Falling on her back, Kairi managed to kick Riku's legs out from under him. She back-flipped to her feet and cast Blizzaga on Riku's arms and legs to hold him down. She ran and dropped next to him, adrenaline making her arms shake as she tried to put her hand on his head to cast the Eximo spell. There was a shattering noise as Riku manage to free his arms from the ice, firing a blast of Dark Aura at Kairi's chest point-blank. She was thrown backward, collapsing in a heap, unable to breath for nearly half a minute. Riku was already thawing his legs out by the time she recovered.

He was just about to go into Overdrive when suddenly, there was a heavy weight pummelling his shoulders, sending him crashing to the ground. Sora was latched onto his back with his arms wrapped tightly around Riku's neck. They struggled for a few minutes, Sora losing strength and blood as each second passed. Kairi tried crawling to her feet but found that everything was in pain. She aimed her Keyblade at the fight pair, looking for an opening to either Bind or freeze Riku. Sora and Riku rolled and rumbled, throwing punches and kicks. When Sora found himself on top, he quickly cast Stop. It had the same non-result as the Bind spell did on Riku. So Sora did the only thing that seemed reasonable at the time, something that he figured would have distracted Riku long enough to attempt to cast the spell needed to break the control on his mind.

Sora kissed him.

Riku, despite being in a fairly blank state since Sora had seen him as Maleficent's new general, was actually genuinely shocked. His thrashing arms ceased their movements and all he could manage to do was stare wide-eyed at the boy above him with his lips crushed against the other. Eventually, his eyes slipped closed, in spite of himself. When he opened them again, Sora was sitting straight up and carefully putting his fingers on Riku's forehead.

"Here goes nothing…" Sora whispered. He clenched his eyes shut and silently prayed for the best. "_Eximo_!" A tiny spark of light escaped from Sora's fingertips and disappeared into Riku's head. Sora stared at him with fearful eyes. The silver-haired teens stared back with the same blank eyes as before. Then, before Sora knew what was happening, he was being flung off and Riku was staggering to his feet. He took two steps before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed face down. "RIKU!" Sora stumbled to the ground next to the fallen warrior, turning him over, his hands shakily checking for a pulse. His first thoughts were, '_I killed him! Oh god, I killed him!_' But then he felt the gentle thumping.

_Ba-bum._

_Ba-bum._

It was slow, but it was there. Sora breathed a sigh of relief. Riku was still alive. Sora felt his heart fluttered and he was filled with an intense happiness. Then he was suddenly concerned about the state Riku had ended up in, if it was one of the negative results Sky had mentioned. The older brunette never did say what it would look like if the spell had _actually_ succeeded.

Sora's thoughts were drawn back to reality when he heard screeches all around him. Apparently the monkey Heartless were not happy about their general being taken out of commission and had surrounded Sora. He formed a Protega bubble around himself and Riku, expanding it rapidly to push back the Heartless.

"Sora!" called a voice. Just beyond the bubble, Kairi was struggling to her feet, propping herself on her Keyblade. Further away, Sky was storming back into the clearing, very angry and bruised. He nodded at the redhead and they placed their Keyblades next to each other, performing their Limit attacks together. They released a surge of magic, flashes of light and colour, vaporizing all the remaining Heartless. The jungle went quiet. No more Heartless arrived since their general wasn't awake to summon them. Sora relaxed and winced, immediately remembering his injuring and slumping forward in pain, letting the Protega bubble disappear. Kairi ran over and laid him on his back, casting an advanced Curana. The wound sealed itself but left a nasty scar visible through Sora's torn shirt. Sky was helping Tarzan recover, giving him a potion to regain his strength.

"Thank you so much for your help today," he said, patting Tarzan's arm. "Will you and your people be okay?" Tarzan nodded.

"We good climbers," he answered. "They climb." As he said that, one gorilla was already making its way out of the pit and turning to help the rest. Sky nodded. He approached the three teens and crouched to check on Riku. First he felt Riku's neck for a pulse. Then he opened one eyelid to check the pupils. Finally, he placed a hand on his chest, checking his breathing.

"He's in a coma," he finally said. Kairi gasped and Sora groaned disappointingly. "We gotta get him back to the castle."

"But did it work?" Sora asked, desperate to know the answer. "I mean, can you tell if he's… back to normal?"

"If the spell didn't work, then he wouldn't have fainted, he'd have kept attacking. But…" Sky hesitated. "If it had worked exactly the way it should have… he still wouldn't have fainted. He'd have just snapped out of it." Sora looked crestfallen.

"So you mean… I messed up his brain. Is that it?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." Sora looked down at the unconscious Riku. "He isn't awake. That means I did something wrong." Sky pursed his lips and looked away.

"Let's just get him back to the castle and see what we can do for him."

The Keybladers bade Tarzan and his tribe farewell before using a Door to get back to Disney Castle. Sky carried Riku over his shoulder while Kairi and Sora supported each other, walking through the door and out the other side. However, the moment they hit sunlight again, they were met with an intimidating sight. Hundreds of soldiers were standing in the courtyard, wielding crossbows, muskets, magical staffs, and other distance weapons. All were pointed directly at the Keybladers. Kairi and Sora jumped back while Sky dropped down to one knee, laying Riku on the grass.

"Stand down!" he ordered. They disregarded his request, instead cocking their guns and charging their magic. "I said stand down!" Sora and Kairi edged closer to Sky, nervous as hell. The soldiers seemed impassive, like they had no problem pulling the trigger. The tension was high. "What the hell's going on here?"

"They're following my orders," said the voice of King Mickey. The small king appeared on a balcony off to the side. "Unlike some people." He didn't look pleased at all. This was probably the second angriest Sora had ever seen him, the first being the time they thought Goofy was dead. Sky bared his teeth in fury.

"We got Riku back, didn't we?" he growled. "No thanks to you!" Sora grew extremely panicky, wanting to tell Sky not to aggravate the situation but unable to summon the words.

"You violated direct orders!" Mickey's voice was commanding and loud, despite his small stature. "How can I trust you after that? How do I know you're even on my side anymore? Especially after bringing an enemy into our base of operations?"

"Enemy?!" Sky's voice cracked at the strain of yelling. He looked incredulous. "He isn't our enemy! He's Riku! We saved him!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you deliberately disobeyed me! You just up and left without a word to anyone. What am I supposed to think?"

"You're supposed to think that we care about Riku very much and we're not gonna let Maleficent play him like a puppet. _Your Majesty_." He said that last part with such venom that it made several people flinch, include Mickey himself.

"Guards, take them into custody," he ordered. Ten guards approached the four on all sides carefully, their weapons never lowering or faltering.

"You don't wanna do this," Sky warned. He was crouching into a fighting stance. The guards seemed to pause a moment, gauging if they were prepared for a real fight, but they continued to advance. Sora backed up into Sky. He could feel the older building up his magic. The air around them began tingling. Sora shook his head. He couldn't let it go down like this. Not when Riku needed medical attention.

"No!" he shouted. "No, we're sorry! Okay? We're sorry!"

"Sora!" Sky snapped. Sora ignored him.

"Please, Your Majesty! We couldn't just stand by and wait for Riku to lose his free will permanently! We had to get him back! And we did! But he needs help! We don't know what's wrong, but he needs a healer! You can lock us up if you want, but just take Riku to the medical wing! Please!" King Mickey's hardened expression wavered. He seemed to be contemplating Sora's request. The ten guards had moved in during the distraction. They were already cuffing the docile Kairi and Sora with magic-suppressing cuffs and leaning in to grab Sky's wrists. Mickey sighed.

"Guards, release them," he said. The guards froze and looked up for confirmation. "I said release them, please." The guards did as they were told, taking the cuffs off the two young men. Sora and Kairi broke into wide smiles while Sky merely huffed, rubbing his wrists out. "Let's get a stretcher in here and take Riku to the medical wing. I want a security detail outside his room at all times. As for you three, for what it's worth, I'm ordering you to stay in the castle until the attack next week."

"Thank you!" Sora and Kairi called, bowing their heads repeatedly. "Thank you so much!"

"Just don't let me regret it," the King said, turning his back and walking into the castle.

oOoOo

Kairi watched as Sora paced back and forth across the small room. The only noise besides Sora's scuffing feet and worried grumblings was a comforting beeping noise coming from a machine next to a sleeping Riku. It indicated that Riku's heart was still beating, if not slowly. There was another machine above that one, one that monitored Riku's brain activity. There was almost no motion in that machine. Sora was filled with a sense of dread, hoping against hopes that Riku wasn't brain-dead like he thought. He couldn't stand the thought of fate teasing him like this, presenting him with the chance to get Riku back and then taking it from him again.

Riku was lying in bed, eyes closed, wires and other monitoring equipment hooked up to him and an IV sticking out of his arm. He looked fairly lifeless, his skin pale and his hair missing that silvery glowing sheen it normal had. The healers who first looked at him when he arrived weren't able to tell what was wrong. They did an MRI scan on his brain to find the source of the problem, but as far as they could see, there wasn't anything wrong with his brain. It was as though it were simply lying dormant, only providing basic instructions to the rest of the body, telling the heart to pump blood and the lungs to breathe oxygen. The healers couldn't begin to predict when or even if Riku would wake at all.

It had been three days. Three agonizing days. Three days of pacing the room and holding Riku's hand and sleeping by his side. Sora was sure he was going to lose his mind if Riku didn't wake soon.

"Come on," Kairi whispered, standing up. "Let's get some food, okay? You haven't eaten all day."

"I'm fine," Sora mumbled.

"No you're not." She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. "The nurses will let us know if Riku wakes up. There isn't anything we can do for him right now. You need to keep up your strength. We have a battle to fight in four days." Sora looked dejected. He didn't want to leave Riku's side, in case the older woke and became disoriented. Sora wanted to be there if Riku woke up. _When_ Riku woke up.

"Go on without me," he said. Kairi grew stern.

"Alright, enough moping!" Her voice took a sharp edge, something foreign to her normally melodious nature. "This is an intervention! I'm ordering you, as your Princess, to eat!" Her tiny mad face made Sora blink. Then he started laughing. Kairi rolled her eyes before succumbing to laughter as well. Anger didn't suit her very well. And laughter helped relieve the tension in the air.

They were interrupted by the sound of a different beeping, one that was a little higher pitched and a little faster. Sora turned to the machines, watching as the brain activity monitor produced several blue squiggle lines that he couldn't comprehend. Riku's eyes were moving beneath his lids. His hands were flexing. Sora's heart soared with hope.

"He's waking!" The teens rushed to Riku's side, waiting anxiously for him to open his eyes. A few seconds later, Aeris and two nurses bustled into the room, followed by four guards.

"Visitors, out!" Aeris gently ordered. She took note of the readings the monitors were giving.

"Aeris, we-" Sora tried to argue.

"So…ra…?" said a tired voice. Sora's heart stopped. It was that voice he missed, the one he hadn't heard in almost two weeks. Riku cracked open his eyes, his beautiful green eyes bright with life. He looked back and forth between all the occupants in the room. His eyes grew fearful. "What's… what's going on?" The heart monitor began going haywire.

"Visitors, _out_!" Aeris ordered again, this time with more force. Riku's breathing was laborious.

"Sora!" he cried, his head darting around. "Where am I? What's going on?!"

"Aeris, don't send me away!" Sora urged. "He's scared and confused!" He took Riku's hand. "It's okay, everything's gonna be fine!"

"The raft!" Riku cried, trying to sit up. "The raft's gonna be destroyed! Oh no, Kairi's out there!"

"What?" Kairi said, her face crinkled with worry. "I'm right here, Riku! Look!" Riku's eyes focused on her and he relaxed, but his heart monitor was still above normal.

"Where's the raft? Is it safe? Did the storm wash it away?" Sora and Kairi exchanged looks as realisation struck them.

"Riku, what year is it?" Sora asked slowly. Riku's eyes drifted around as he thought.

"2003." He fixed Sora was a confused look. "Why?" Sora closed his eyes, the dread in his heart returning full force.

"Oh… no reason." Amnesia. Sora sighed. Well at least he wasn't brain-dead.

oOoOo

A/N: Oh too bad for Sora! His would-be boyfriend has amnesia! Just a note on the timelines, I'm going by the release date of the first game, which was 2003. My assumption is that the first game took place over the course of several months, then Sora was asleep for a year, and KHII was another couple of months, making it 2005 when the second game ends. I'm probably wrong, but for the sake of this story, let's just say that's how it went down. Also, I hope I didn't make Mickey _too_ out-of-character. I figure he can be quite authoritative and intimidating when he wants to be.

Also, please let me know of any grammatical errors. I proofread my own stories thoroughly, but sometimes the formatting gets messed up when I upload them to (for example, it chunked out half a sentance in a previous chapter and I didn't catch it until much later). Thank you!


	17. Chapter 17: Forgotten

**A/N: **Here's an unusual twist. I've picked out two different songs for this chapter. The first is a relaxing piece called Tranquil Cove by Dan Gibson. It will be marked as (**music1**) when the time is right. The second is a fast-paced piece called Path by Apocalyptica. It will be marked as (**music2**). Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 17: Forgotten

Riku could hear hushed yet frantic voices coming from the other side of the door. He would have gotten up to investigate it, but the nurses insisted he stay in bed for his own health and so they could finish checking him. For the most part, he didn't understand what exactly they were doing that had anything to do with a check-up. They were simply standing there with their arms over him, murmuring something Latin under their breaths. Sora and Kairi had been kicked out nearly ten minutes ago and Riku was starting to wish they were still in there. He had so many questions. And the nurses certainly weren't very talkative.

On the other side of the door, Sora and Kairi were anxiously discussing their options concerning Riku.

"I can't believe he has amnesia!" Kairi hissed, nervously dragging her fingers through her hair. "What should we do?"

"I have no idea!" Sora groaned, pacing around erratically. "What about Naminé? Can't she restore his memories?"

"It's not that simple, Sora," Kairi tried to explain. "She was able to mess around the chains of your memories because she was connected to you and because the chains were actually there to be messed with. She doesn't have the same connection to Riku, nor are his memories intact. Besides, I don't even know how to…" She flailed her hands as she tried to find the right term to explain herself. "How to… contact her? Use her powers? I dunno!" She resumed pulling her hair.

"What should we tell him?"

"We should tell him the truth."

"The truth? Do you know how he'll react? 'Cuz I certainly don't! He may freak out! His parents nearly did when I told them he was fighting a war and died!"

"But you told me they accepted it real quick!"

"That's because I left out all the parts about him being _evil_! You think if I told Riku that, he'd be okay with it?"

"He's got a strong heart and mind. I think he can handle it."

"You don't know that. It's a lot of information to swallow at once. Magic, Heartless, Keyblades. It's just too much!"

"Hey guys," said a new voice. Sora and Kairi turned to see Sky standing before them. "I came as soon as I heard that Riku woke up. How is he?" Kairi sighed while Sora groaned.

"He's lost a lot of his memory," Kairi answered. "About four years worth. Pretty much everything relating to the Heartless." Sky was stunned.

"I knew I screwed up his brain," Sora added glumly.

"Don't you dare beat yourself up for this," Sky growled, poking Sora in the chest. "This isn't the worse outcome for him. He's not dead, so count your blessings. This is manageable. Have you spoken to him yet?"

"No… Aeris kicked us out."

"Then that gives us time to come up with a believable cover story." Sky placed his hand on his chin as he thought about it. "Okay… tell him he's been in a coma."

"What?! He wouldn't believe that! Besides, as soon as he leaves the medical wing, he's gonna know he's not on Destiny Island anymore."

"You got something better?"

"The truth?" Kairi tried again.

"He'll free-eak…" Sora's voice was sing-song-ish yet exasperated. They were interrupted by the door opening and Aeris, along with her two nurses and four guards stepped out. "How is he?"

"Other than the amnesia," Aeris said. "He's in perfect health. His legs will be a little weak from lying in bed for three days, but he'll adjust. Unfortunately, we can't find the problem in his brain. There isn't any damage to his temporal lobe. We tried a few incantations to restore his memories, but they don't seem to be working. We need more information about this 'Eximo' spell you used." Sora turned away, feeling awkward.

"I'll handle that," Sky quickly said. Aeris nodded. Sky knew Sora's awkwardness and guilt was stemming from the fact that Sora _didn't_ know anything about the Eximo spell and that's probably why it didn't work the way it was supposed. Sora's self-loathing disappeared and was replaced with anxiety.

"Can we see him?" His eyes were shining with anticipation. Aeris smiled.

"Certainly. But don't overwhelm him!" Sora gave Kairi a look that said, 'I told you so' before running into Riku's room. Kairi rolled her eyes and followed him in. Sky decided to make himself scarce, heading down the hall with Aeris to her medical lab. The last thing Riku needed was the shock of seeing two Soras. Inside the room, Riku was sitting up, looking around curiously, his eyes full of confusion, but when he saw he two best friends come in, his eyes lit up.

"Hey!" he greeted, smiling. Sora's heart melted, but he restrained himself, telling himself that Riku didn't remember their relationship. And maybe that's what broke Sora's heart the most. "What's going on, guys? Why am I in a hospital? Who were those freaky nurses? They just stood over me like they were in a trance or something!" Riku chuckled slightly. Then he squinted, staring at Sora and Kairi carefully. "Are you two… taller or something? You look older…" Sora and Kairi exchanged glances, debating if the truth really was the right way to go. There was no way around it now that Riku knew they were older. Sora sent Kairi a subtle stare that said 'Forget it, let me do the talking.'

He pursed his lips, thinking up a suitable lie along the lines of Sky's idea. "You… were in an accident," he began. Riku's eyes went wide.

"What kind of accident?"

"Uh… what's the last thing you remember?" A struggled look of remembrance appeared Riku's face as he tried to think.

"I… I was rowing out to Play Island. It was raining pretty hard. I wanted to check on the raft, y'know, put it somewhere safe for the night. Then I saw Kairi's boat at the dock. Then… I blacked out." He looked up at Sora, hoping the brunet would be able to fill in the blanks. Sora's mind was racing. He hoped the panic didn't show on his face.

"You hit your head," he said once his brain settled on something believable. "You hit your head and fell overboard. Kairi found you washed up on the shore and took you to the hospital. You've… been in a coma…" Riku frowned as he absorbed this information.

"For how long…?"

Sora hesitated. He hated lying, especially to Riku. "Four years."

"_FOUR YEARS!!_" The heart monitors were acting up again, beeping rapidly. Kairi grabbed his arm.

"Riku, calm down!" she urged. "Relax, okay? Everything's alright!" She shot Sora a glare that said 'He freaked out anyway. Should've told him the truth.' Sora returned with a half-hearted glare of his own. Riku was taking a deep breath, getting his racing heart under control.

"Four years…" he whispered. "Oh my god… I've missed so much…" Sora wanted to scream. It was killing him to let Riku believe that all that happened was a little bump on the head and a four-year-long sleep. "Where are my parents?" Panic rose in Sora's chest once more.

"Uh… they're at home. They don't know you're awake yet." _Or alive._ Immense guilt swarmed his heart. The more he spoke, the bigger the lie got, and the deeper he dug himself into this lie. But he was already forming a plan to ensure none of it came back to bite him in the ass. "But as soon as you get the O.K. from the doctors, we'll take you home, okay?" He gave Kairi a nudge. "C'mon, Kairi, let's let him get some rest."

"I've been sleeping for four years," Riku muttered. "I really don't feel like resting any longer." He tried getting out of bed, but Sora pushed his hands against his chest. He was worried that if Riku stepped outside the hospital room, the older teen would realise very quickly that this wasn't an ordinary hospital.

"Slow down, big guy!" Sora laughed nervously. "You've got to wait a bit. You haven't used your legs in four years. It's gonna take some time to recover." Riku gave him a strange look.

"My legs feel fine." He demonstrated by moving them around and bending his knees.

"Just take my word for it, okay?" With one final push, Sora backed away and grabbed Kairi's arm. "Let's go."

"Hey wait! Aren't you gonna tell me what's happened in the last four years?"

"There'll be plenty of time for that later, 'kay? See ya in a bit!" Sora was in a hurry to leave. His heart was breaking and he didn't know how much longer he could keep up the charade. Riku watched them leave with a hint of disappointment and just a dash of suspicion. He couldn't help but feel like his friends were avoiding him.

Outside the room, Sora leaned against the closed door, his head downward cast and his breaths struggled. Part of him desperately wanted to tell the truth and let Riku come to terms with it. But another part of Sora wanted to protect Riku. He figured this was Riku's chance to start over. Sora didn't want to rob him of that by reminding him of the monster he nearly became. And there was a final part of him that just wanted Riku to remember their relationship. It had taken so long to get to that point and now they had to start all over again.

"It's really hard… y'know?" he mumbled, close to tears. "It's like he isn't even the same person. Everything we had… it's just gone…" Seeing the turbulent emotion swirling in Sora's eyes, Kairi gave him a comforting hug.

"You two will get back together…" she whispered. "Just because he's forgotten a lot doesn't mean he's forgotten his love for you. Just give it time."

"We don't have time. The big attack is in four days." Sora's head shot up. "We can't let him stay here. We have to take him home where he'll be safe."

"And how are we supposed to do that without him noticing that he's crossing worlds?" Sora pursed his lips and looked away, thinking.

"We could cast a _Confusion_ spell on him and then give him an antidote once we're close to his place. He'll never know what happened."

"Don't you think we're digging ourselves in a little deep now?"

"You're right, a _Confusion_ spell would be too powerful. He might hurt himself." Sora was partially ignoring Kairi. "Maybe Aeris has something we could use, like a potion." He set off in search of the white mage.

"Sora, wait!" Kairi called. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want to tell him the truth? Is this the path you're going to take? Because there's no going back once we bring him home." Sora halted and looked over his shoulder.

"I don't think I have much choice now." And with that, he left. Kairi sighed. Sometimes boys were so stupid.

oOoOo

"You want a Confusion potion?" Aeris asked slowly. "Why?" Sora shifted from foot to foot while Kairi crossed her arms, waiting for Sora to explain their absurd plan. They were standing in Aeris' medical office. It had been set up shortly after the Restoration Committee came to Disney Castle.

"Well… we just need a few drops… nothing potent," Sora said. Aeris gave him a look that suggested she wasn't convinced. "We want to take Riku home, but he doesn't know he's on a different world," Sora explained. "So we need him to be kinda out of it while we take him back to Destiny Island."

"Why not just tell him he's on another world?" Aeris asked like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"That's what I said," Kairi added smugly.

"Look, it's just easier if we let him go on believing that everything's alright," Sora said quickly, waving his hands. "I don't want him to get worried about us or upset because he was a villain for a while. Could we please just move on past that point?" Kairi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, could we get that Confusion potion and send him home tomorrow?" Aeris twirled a pencil with her fingers, thinking about it.

"Granted," she said with a smile. "Assuming you get permission by the King. I'll have it ready by tomorrow morning."

"Great! Thank you!" Sora turned to Kairi. "You'll need to go on ahead and tell Riku's parents that he's still alive and he's coming home. Tell them he has amnesia and they shouldn't mention anything about the Heartless or the war or anything."

"Right…" Kairi said reluctantly. She wanted to argue the point further, but the look on Sora's face made her hold her tongue. She truly hoped for Riku's sake that they were taking the right course of action.

The next stop the two teens made was the command centre to speak with the King. Sora was quite hesitant to knock on the door. The last time they had spoken was under strained terms. Regardless, he mustered up his courage and knocked. Once called in, they walked in side by side. The King was sitting at the head of the table looking over mission reports. He seemed to be in a better mood than three days ago in the sense that he was at least approachable, but he wasn't smiling. He looked up when Sora and Kairi approached him. He remained silent. Sora and Kairi exchanged nervous looks.

"We're sorry…" Sora spoke up, referring to the incident three days prior. "I understand if you're still mad about us disobeying your orders…"

"I'm not mad," Mickey interrupted. "I'm more disappointed than anything." Sora swallowed a pang of guilt. That was what his mother used to say to him whenever he did something bad at home. She was never mad, just disappointed. And sometimes her cold silence and sad look were worse than when she screamed and shouted at him. Sometimes disappointment was enough punishment.

"It was mostly Sky's idea…"

"I don't really care whose idea it was. It was dangerous and foolish. I understand I can't control you fellas. You're following my orders of your own free will and you're more than welcome to leave anytime you want. If you do, though, you won't have the support of the Disney armies." Silence fell over them again while Sora and Kairi took a moment to feel proper remorse for their actions. "However…" Their heads looked up at the King. "However… You _did_ succeed in turning Riku back to normal. So I'm willing to overlook the incident." They smiled graciously.

"Thank you…" they whispered. King Mickey returned their smiles.

"I heard Riku woke up," he said. "I'm glad to hear that. I was just about to visit him."

"I wouldn't do that just yet…" Sora said uneasily. "He wouldn't remember you. He's forgotten everything from the last four years." Mickey's eyes widened and he went silent, unable to think of much to say. "We're here to request permission to take him back to Destiny Island."

"Why?" Mickey finally choked out. "Isn't there something we can do for him? Surely our healers can find a way to restore his memories."

"It's complicated, Your Majesty," Kairi answered quickly, stepping forward. "The healers already looked him over and can't figure out what's wrong with him, magically and physically." The King got up from his chair and walked over to where the monitors were. Some of the screens displayed other worlds' inhabitants clearing away debris and rubble left over from attacks earlier in the week when Riku was still following Maleficent's orders. The civilians were just picking up the pieces of their devastated lives. Mickey sighed.

"I see." He turned back to the teens. "In the end, it's probably best if he didn't remember." He took his seat again. "Permission granted."

oOoOo

Riku flipped onto his other side, getting increasingly more uncomfortable. The walls of this hospital room were dull and boring. Not even an inspirational poster or a pretty painting of flowers or something. Just a plain ugly white. Riku sighed. He was feeling kind of lonely. It had been just over 20 hours since he woke up and Kairi and Sora had only visited twice during that time. But they were behaving unusually, like they were being very careful about what they said around him. And they exchanged glances quite often. They were hiding something. And they were very bad at hiding whatever they were hiding.

He stirred when the door opened and the two in question stepped in, all smiles and cheer.

"Good morning, Riku!" Sora greeted pleasantly. Riku noted to himself that Sora was getting a little better at pretending to be happy compared to the day before. "The doctors told us we can take you home now!"

"I thought my legs weren't working," Riku replied grimly with a bit of sarcasm.

"They aren't," Sora responded promptly. "But that's what this is for!" He passed Riku a water bottle. "It's got a bit of medicine that will speed up your recovery." Riku eyed it carefully. "Go on, have a sip."

"It's not vodka, is it?"

"It's not." Sora let out a little laugh. Riku shrugged and took a swig. He didn't feel any different. His legs certainly didn't feel affected. "Alright, let's get you up." Sora and Kairi flanked him and carefully got their arms around his shoulders and waist. As soon as he was out of bed and standing unsteadily on his feet, the effects of the 'medicine' hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, instinctively grabbing his head and swaying. Sora and Kairi gripped him tightly to keep him from falling over. Everything looked beyond blurry. The images around him seemed like a watercolour painting that a 5-year-old had smeared and smudged around, in constant motion. He felt nauseous at once, disoriented and bewildered. "What's… what's going on?" He looked at Sora's face and only saw a tan blob shape with two small blue blobs somewhere in there.

"It's okay," Sora's voice said. "It's just the medicine. Just relax, alright?" Riku tried to relax, but it was hard when everything looked so strange. He wanted to ask 'Are you sure that wasn't vodka?' but he couldn't get the words out. Somehow, though, he figured this wasn't what being drunk felt like. This was ten times worse and he could only dread to imagine what the hangover would feel like.

There was a flash of light somewhere but he couldn't tell where or what caused it. His feet moved as he was pulled along by his two friends. The blurry room became a blurry white glare. "We're in the elevator now." Sora's voice was reassuring. Riku closed his eyes, willing his stomach to stop churning and his head to stop spinning. He felt oddly warm, not just on the outside but inside as well. This elevator had a strangely comforting aura.

A few seconds later, he felt the light die down, replaced by natural sunlight. He opened his eyes again, unable to recognize where he was.

"Drink this," Kairi said, placing a different water bottle in Riku's hand. She made sure he had a firm grip before letting him take a sip. Within seconds, Riku's vision cleared up and his confusion lifted. They were standing a few blocks away from his house.

"How did we…?" he slurred, still regaining his senses. "Did we walk all the way from the hospital?"

"No, we took a cab," Sora answered. "You fell asleep."

"I don't remember falling asleep…" Riku was still slightly confused, but it wasn't from the medicine. He gave his head a good shake. Once his two friends were sure that he was of sound mind, they eased him into walking, keeping their arms around his shoulders for support. "So… the cab couldn't drop us off right in front of my place?"

"Well…" Sora began. "We wanted to take you through the neighbourhood. Help you get reacquainted." He looked away. Riku stared for a few seconds but said nothing.

Despite Sora's calm exterior, he was terrified inside. So far, the plan was working. Riku didn't suspect a thing. All that was left to do was to drop him off at home and leave. It was the hardest step of all. They marched along silently if not awkwardly. The closer they got to Riku's block, the more twisted Sora's heart felt. It felt like they were leading Riku to his execution. Each step that took them closer filled Sora with a greater sense of trepidation. After a few minutes, they were walking down the road that Sora and Riku's houses were on. Riku's front door was in sight now. Sora was counting down the steps. He took a shuddering breath. Just three more minutes and they would be saying goodbye to Riku, leaving him behind to live out the rest of his life in ignorance. Two more minutes. Sora was finding it difficult to breathe. One minute. Sora abruptly stopped walking. He couldn't let it end this way.

"Hang on…" he whispered. The truth was sitting on the tip of his tongue, just waiting to tumble out in a long ramble. He held his breath. Kairi and Riku fixed him with questioning stares. "I…" He couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave Riku, not after working so hard to get him back. "Kairi, go on ahead. We'll catch up." The questioning stares turned puzzled.

"Uh… sure…" Kairi answered. She didn't feel a need to pry. "Anything I should tell Riku's parents?"

"We'll be there in an hour or so. I'm taking Riku to Play Island." Riku tilted his head to the side.

"Why…?" he asked. Sora was rather wondering that himself. Perhaps he thought it might help jog Riku's memory, stir something in his subconscious, or make it easier if and when Sora decided to spill the truth about everything that had really happened in the last four years. He couldn't explain it, but he wanted to go there with the older teen.

"Just because." That response was good enough for Riku. He shrugged.

"Sure, why not? What's another hour without my folks? They'll manage." Sora felt a little guilty to be snatching Riku away like this when his parents hadn't seen or heard from him in over 6 months and up until yesterday, they thought he was dead.

Kairi nodded and released her hold on Riku's arm. "See you boys in a bit." Sora and Riku gave little half-waves as they made their way down to the piers.

Down at the docks, Sora was almost surprised to find their boats all missing, but then remembered that everyone had thought they drowned, so it was likely that the boats were either given away or put in storage. Sora was left with only one option, which was to rent a boat for a couple hours. After paying for the little boat, the two were rowing out to the small island where many of their childhood adventures took place.

(**music1**)

Sora allowed the calming waves licking at the sides of the boat to ease his troubled mind. Was he going to tell Riku or not? '_Should_ he', was a more appropriate question. Would Riku even believe him if he told him everything? Sora recalled questioning the existence of other worlds long before they ever decided to start building the raft. It all started when Kairi appeared on their shores after she had been cast out of Radiant Garden by Xehonart. Riku had always seemed more interested, though. The older teen had spent more time thinking about it, creating theories and coming up with ideas of what the other worlds might be like. Maybe it wouldn't come as such a shocker to have all his theories verified.

Before Sora knew it, they had arrived on the island. Riku was giving him a concerned look, obviously wondering why the normally chatty brunet hadn't said a word since they had departed Kairi's presence.

"Everything okay?" he asked Sora, snapping the other back to reality.

"Yeah… just thinking. This is where it all began…"

"You mean my coma?" Sora was shaken by the question. That nagging guilt was back ten fold. He didn't answer. Instead, he got out of the boat and tied it to the dock post.

They walked in silence, crossing the sandy beach to the shack that had the stairs leading to the upper beach area. Sora watched Riku out of the corner of his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of recognition beyond childhood reminiscing. Although all evidence thus far had proven that Sora had essentially blown away 4 years worth of memories from Riku's brain, Sora was hoping against hope that that wasn't the case and somehow a miracle would happen.

They walked up the stairs and crossed the bridge to Paopu Island. Riku noted the repairs made to the bridge a little over a year ago, of course forgetting that he was one of the people who helped fix the bridge in the first place. He stared over the edge into the crystal clear blue waters. Then he began mussing with his hair.

"Look at me," he laughed, observing his reflection in the water. "You guys didn't get my hair cut!" He ran his fingers through his trusses, getting a good look at it. Sora was suddenly worried that Riku would notice that for a coma patient, he was in remarkably good shape. The muscles he had built up over the last four years would be dead noticeable. But Riku didn't say anything about it. He was too busy preening over his long hair.

They stood in the centre of the little island, staring out across the vast ocean. Riku had a faraway look on his face, just like the one he had when he was 15-years-old and longing for change in his life. Only this time, he longed for a connection to the events he felt he missed. His island wasn't his island anymore. There were subtle changes, new additions, things missing. He wasn't sure he liked it. But there was one thing that hadn't changed. The bent paopu tree was still there, bearing its delicious star-shaped fruit.

"Did you ever end up sharing that paopu with Kairi?" Riku asked out of the blue. The sound of his voice was enough to make Sora jump, but the question itself really freaked him out.

"What?" he exclaimed, embarrassed. "Of course not! Why would I?" Riku gave Sora a knowing smile, but said nothing else. Sora gave it some thought and remembered that the last thing Riku remembered was the little childish rivalry they had going, competing for Kairi's attention and affection. And the little race that was supposed to determine the name of the raft had dissolved into a race to see who would share a paopu fruit with the sweet redhead. In the end, neither one of them had bothered, seeing as all three of their destinies had been tied together without the need of a legendary fruit.

Feeling a little self-conscious, Sora turned towards the rest of the island. His eyes skimmed over the area, looking for somewhere else to take Riku, and his eyes passed over the waterfall. Then he remembered the cave, which had been aptly named Memory Cave. If anything was going to help Riku regain his memories, it would be that cave. Sora smiled and pulled Riku across the wooden bridge to the cave entrance. Riku didn't protest until when he tried to climb in, the entrance was a bit of a tight squeeze.

"Jeez, it's hard to believe we fit in here as kids," he laughed, shifting around on his hands and knees to get inside. Sora shrugged, grinning, and followed him in. Once inside, they began tracing out the funny little pictures they had drew as children. While Riku looked around, Sora found himself drawn towards the door that contained their world's heart. He nearly choked at what he saw. The tiny barely-noticeable hairline fractures running along the surface of the door had gotten bigger. They were quite noticeable now, foreboding and ominous. Sora felt a sick feeling come over him. The door was growing weaker. That meant the forces of darkness were growing stronger. And no doubt, they would be drawn to Destiny Island with its heart so vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Riku had found the drawing of Sora and Kairi exchanging paopu fruit and he frowned. It finally clicked why they were being so mysterious around him. It was all the evidence he needed to see to know that Sora and Kairi had hooked up. The imagery held so much weight behind it. For some reason he couldn't understand, he was upset. He wanted to cry but he couldn't figure out why. He should be happy for his two friends. They found love in each other while he slumbered away for four years. He didn't honestly expect them to put their lives on hold just because he wasn't around. His self-esteem level plummeted to the ground. Maybe the awkwardness he felt around those two had everything to do with him being a third wheel. Now that he was back in their lives, it made things too complicated. He felt horrible.

"You know…" he whispered, unaware of Sora panicking about the damaged door. "You and Kairi don't have to be so secretive. I know what you're trying to hide."

"What?" Sora squeaked, his attention caught between fretting about the safety of this world and Riku's wounded voice.

"I know what's been going on. What's happened in the last four years."

"You do?!" The colour drained from Sora's face. Had Riku figured it out that easily? Was it that obvious that he hadn't actually fallen in a coma and had amnesia instead? Did the amnesia clear up? Was he furious because Sora had lied this whole time?

"And I get why you've been kind of lying. You're worried I'll be upset. But I'm not."

"You're not?" Oh god, was he a mind-reader? Was that it?

"Nope. I'm happy for you two. Really! I mean, it _has_ been four years. It's no surprise you two would hook up." Sora blinked slowly as he tried to comprehend that last sentence.

"Come again?"

"You and Kairi. You're dating now, aren't you?" For the record, Sora tried, he really did, not to laugh. But as soon as a tiny snort left his mouth, he couldn't hold back the laughter. Like a dam bursting, he was practically rolling on the ground, his body racked with hysterical laughter. Riku became thoroughly confused, almost worse than how his 'medicine' had left him.

"You…" Sora took a deep breath, only to start laughing again. "You think… hahaha… You think Kairi and I…" He covered his mouth and turned away. The expression on Riku's face was only making it worse. Sora was nearly in tears and he was sure if the laughing didn't subside in the next few minutes, he'd pass out from lack of oxygen. "No, no, no! We never! I could never… She's not my girlfriend." Riku felt relieved and stupid at once.

"Oh…" He turned away, hiding his embarrassment quite well. "Oh I figured… with the drawings and the glances and…" He stopped, knowing that whatever he thought before didn't matter because he was wrong. Sora and Kairi weren't a couple. He couldn't figure out what about that was such a relief.

Sora sobered up quickly but felt guilty that Riku would think that about Kairi and him at all. The drawings on the cave wall were more a symbolism of the connection Sora and Kairi shared, but it wasn't romantic, at least not anymore. Sora may have felt a childhood crush on Kairi at one point, but nothing more. What he really wanted to do was tell Riku the truth, to tell him that _they_ were in a relationship. But that wasn't something he could just blurt out. Riku's mind had regressed to his 15-year-old self, and as far as Sora knew, 15-year-old-Riku didn't love Sora like that at all.

"Look, I'm sorry if it seems like we're acting weird around you," he said. "But we haven't really… had you around for the last four years…" _There you go again, lying to him._ Sora squashed that nagging voice down. "It's been a little hard to adjust to having you back." He had been actually hoping that maybe Riku _had_ remembered everything. It would have save Sora a great deal of explaining. But since it turned out to be a false assumption, Sora suddenly didn't want to bother anymore. He was all nerves and anxiety. And that bloody door had him all jumpy.

Sora paused. He felt something like a cold breeze blow by him. The temperature in the little cave was dropping. It seemed like it was getting darker, despite the opening in the roof where sunlight shone through. He turned around and tried to figure it out. And then it hit him – the stench of darkness. The Heartless were coming. Horror filled Sora's chest. The shadows grew deeper and darker in the corners of the cave. They were pressing in, searching for the light in a heart, preparing to strike, to break down the door stopping them from plunging Destiny Island into darkness once more. Riku sensed it too but was unable to understand what it meant.

"Do you feel that?" he murmured, looking around for the source.

"Riku…" Sora whispered. "You should leave." He didn't want Riku there. Riku couldn't fight without his memories. He regarded Sora cautiously.

"Why? What aren't you telling me?"

"Just go!" Urgency filled Sora's voice. "Run! Get out now!" But it was too late. The Heartless had found them. How could they not? Two golden Keyblader's hearts standing next to a weakening door leading to a world's heart. It was like a kingly feast begging to be devoured. Sora felt like a fool, leading them there in the first place. He should have known something like this would happen.

(**music2**)

As the first glowing set of eyes appeared in the shadows where dark portals were forming, Sora was faced with a decision – either find a way to lock the door to the world's heart; get Riku out of the cave; or immediately dive into the fight. The first idea was eliminated when he realised he couldn't lock a door that wasn't open in the first place, but he couldn't simply wait for the Heartless to open the door because that would destroy it. The second idea was eliminated due to lack of time. The Heartless were here, now, and Sora's priority became defeating them, to hell with the lies he had been piling on Riku.

In a flash of light, Sora summoned Way To Dawn and pounced on the first Heartless that had fully materialized. Riku cried out in alarm at the sudden appearance of a sword in Sora's hand and the monsters infesting the cave. Sora waved his free hand at the door, throwing a barrier around it to keep it safe. He then transformed into his Final Form, using the extra speed and agility to strike at the first dozen attackers. They were low-ranking shadows, easy kills.

"What the hell is going on?" Riku yelled, backing away from the barrage. Sora ignored the question, focusing entirely on protecting the heart of their world. If the door were to open, it would be catastrophic. More Heartless were pouring through the portals. Dozens clawed at the barrier, striping it down bit by bit. Sora growled and cast Thunder on them. A handful jumped on him, scratching and biting, but he threw them off easily and cast Blizzard. He rushed them with lightning speed, executing a large forward dash pierce as he passed. The numbers were manageable for the time being. Multitasking, on the other hand, was a bit more of a challenge. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora spotted a couple of stray Neo-Heartless lunge at the unarmed Riku. The older teen shouted out in surprise, stumbling backwards to the ground and shielding his face. Sora quickly cast Protega over the distraught young man, blocking the Heartless' attacks.

Riku watched with a mix of fear and awe at the sheer power that Sora was exerting. He had never seen anything like it before. Was this really the same goofy boy who used to trail after Riku and struggled to keep up with him? Was this the real secret Sora had been keeping? That he had become some kind of… super-powered hero? Riku couldn't help the abrupt nervous chuckle that escaped his lips. He was having a hard time believing that anything in front of him at the moment was real. Perhaps the medicine he had been given earlier never wore off.

He gasped when a creature wearing silver armour was slammed into the cave wall next to him, dissolving into darkness a second later. He tried to get up but found that his legs didn't want to respond. He felt paralyzed with an unfounded fear. But what was he afraid of? Something told him deep down that he had seen these monsters before. He couldn't place where. But this scene seemed all too familiar. His eyes snapped to Sora, noticing that the younger seemed to be losing concentration. The bluish bubble around Riku and the door was flickering.

Sora was running low on mana and he didn't have any elixirs on him to replenish it, never thinking for one moment that he'd be attacked on his own home world. And unfortunately, this breed of Heartless didn't drop anything like health spheres or munny. Once Sora's mana was gone, it would take some time to recharge on its own. He would have to work harder and faster to push back the darkness seeping into the cave before that happened. He stopped using magic, with the exception of the Protega barriers around the door and Riku, and focused more on sword fighting.

"Go get Kairi!" Sora shouted between bouts. "Tell her the Heartless are here!" Riku's brain seemed ten seconds behind processing what Sora was saying. "What are you waiting for? GO!" It seemed like whatever fear or paralysis that had been keeping Riku still was lifted, allowing him control over his movements once more. He sprang to his feet and ran for the cave entrance. However, the moment he crossed the threshold of the bubble around him, the Heartless stopped their attacks on Sora and dove at Riku. Sora had been so caught up in his fight that he didn't remember to shift the Protega to follow Riku out and now he was vulnerable.

"Oh god!" Riku cried, realizing the monsters were chasing him. He tripped over his own feet in a panic and collapsed in a heap, hitting his head against the rocky wall on the way down. Sora, out of range, threw a massive fireball at the Heartless, decimating them instantly. The Protega shield around the door disappeared a moment later and Sora muttered something under his breath. His mana was completely tapped. When the next platoon of Heartless arrived, they went for the door, breaking it down in seconds. Sora performed a sliding dash to close the distance between him and the creatures and sliced through them all. But the damage was done. The door was open and the world's heart was bare for all to see. It was a mesmerizing sight, a blinding light reaching out with warm, comforting tendrils, trying to coax Sora in, unwittingly letting the darkness touch it. Sora was caught in a trance, unable to tear his eyes away. So hypnotic, so soothing…

More Heartless had arrived and they leapt on Sora, knocking him down and preparing to rip his heart out. It was enough to bring him to his senses, but he was trapped and pinned. Suddenly, the Heartless were flying off him, smashing into walls and falling to pieces. Sora looked around rapidly, trying to figure out what the cause was. There was a flash of light and a shockwave of energy rippling across the cave. Sora's eyes were dazzled. The invasion of Heartless stopped at once. He heard a noise, like magic filling the air, then a pulse, and then finally, a snapping whistle noise as the door to the world's heart was closed and locked tight.

The light slowly died down enough for Sora to see the source. He gasped for breath, staring at the glowing figure before him. Riku was standing in front the door, holding his Soul Eater Keyblade, pointing it at the door. The residual energy of locking the keyhole was still drifting in the air. He turned slowly, lowering the Keyblade, and stared at Sora with expressionless eyes. For once, the eyes that couldn't lie weren't telling Sora anything. The younger shuddered.

"Is it you?" he asked slowly, trying to sit up. His mind was racing with questions. Did Riku remember? Was it all back now? Could things finally go back to the way they were before? Or was he somehow under Maleficent's control once more? There was a bated silence. Sora stared at Riku with hopeful eyes and Riku returned the gaze, still unreadable. Finally, Riku nodded once, smiling faintly.

"It's me." And then, he was on his knees, hugging Sora close. "I was so lost…" His voice was soft and emotional, muffled against Sora's shoulder. "So lost in the darkness… But you found me." He pulled back and gazed at Sora, his eyes now swimming with happiness. "You found me." He leaned in and kissed Sora, hands gently holding his shoulder and the side of his face. Sora's heart sped up, realising the true implications of everything that just happened. Reluctantly, he pulled out of the kiss just to see Riku's beautiful eyes.

"You remember?" he whispered, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it anyway to soothe his soul.

Riku nodded. "I do. I remember everything." Sora gulped nervously.

"You're not mad… are you? About me lying?"

"Of course not…" Riku looked away, suddenly very sad. "You're not mad at _me_, are you? For me trying to kill you… again…" He clenched his eyes shut.

"No!" Sora grabbed Riku's chin and turned it towards him. "It wasn't your fault! You weren't in control of your actions."

"I know… but… I killed so many people… I killed them…" He started to shake as the memories overwhelmed him. "If I were stronger, I wouldn't have fallen under _her_ control… I would have fought back! I would have…"

"Don't start. Don't ruin this moment." Sora pressed his lips against Riku's in a comforting kiss. He had been waiting so long to touch these lips again, to hold Riku close, and now he finally could. He pulled away to take a breath. "I still love you." Riku's heart fluttered and he managed a weak smile. Then he grew serious.

"I also remember something else." Sora's eyebrows crinkled with worry.

"What?"

Riku took a deep breath. "I know what Maleficent is." He looked up into Sora's eyes, shaking his head. "She's about the closest thing we've ever seen to a god. I don't think we can ever kill her."

oOoOo

A/N: So, are the boys screwed? Find out in the next chapter! Only three more left!


	18. Chapter 18: Control

**A/N:** It's flashback time, kids! And a bit of a long one, too. It's told completely through Riku's POV. Warning, this chapter contains graphic violence (like, _really_ graphic violence). So if you're squeamish… uh… you're just gonna have to plough through it. Song for this chapter is Strange Device by Emilie Autumn marked by(**music1**). Also, play Carl Orff's O Fortuna where I put (**music2**). Enjoy!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 18: Control

My arms are aching. I've been holding an ice spell in place for the last three minutes. I can hear the hollering and screaming of my distraught would-be boyfriend being dragged away against his will outside where he'll be safe. My heart's breaking as it is being gnawed away by the darkness. I wait a few minutes after I can no longer hear his sorrowful cries, once I'm sure he's well away from the mountain. I only have a few seconds to collapse the mountain before he'll try to run back in here. I don't want him to die…

The ice above my head shatters as I let the spell fade. My mana's tapped. I don't even have enough to cast Protega on myself. The ground starts to shake. The Heartless around me are starting to move. They seem confused. I don't care. As the first few boulders and large chunks of debris come crashing down, all I can think about is Sora. His smiling face invades my thoughts and I'm content with that. I want my last thoughts to be of him. I close my eyes and wait for the end.

I look up as a rather large rock falls towards me. It should have been the finishing blow, but it's not. The ground beneath my feet begins to turn black. A dark portal is forming! I cry out in alarm. I know I'm not the one responsible! I wouldn't use the powers of darkness to save myself because I know it would overwhelm me eventually and I'd lose my heart. This was someone else's doing!

Before I can even try getting out of the way, the portal completely forms and I slip through. I'm falling… falling into darkness. No! This can't be happening! I already made up my mind!

(**music1**)

A few seconds later, I hit the ground with a sickening crack. I scream. My legs are probably broken. I'm momentarily blinded by sheer pain. Breathing heavily, I try to get a look at my surroundings. It's a small square room with a high ceiling. There are no doors or windows, no furniture of any kind. It's dark. The only light sources are four candles on each wall, high above my reach. The dark portal far overhead that dropped me here is just closing now. I take a shuddering gasp of breath. My first instinct is to heal myself, but my mana's still depleted. I reach into my pocket for a potion, but find none. I must've used the last one on a wounded soldier. I've got nothing to help me.

I summon my Keyblade and try to use it as a crutch. I can't stand. It hurts too much. I collapse back on the ground while my Keyblade falls over with a loud noise. Why am I here? Who brought me here? If they wanted me dead, they should have left me in the mountain. I groan as my legs pulse with agony. I've had broken bones before, horse-playing with Sora, falling out of trees, the worst being the time I jumped off the roof of my house in a vain attempt to prove to Sora that it was possible to fly. I had been 8-years-old then. And now, more than a decade later, I can say without a doubt that this is the worst physical anguish I've ever been in. I steal a glance at my legs and feel sick at the sight. There's a shattered bone sticking out of one leg. The other looks mutilated, bending completely in the wrong direction.

I attempt to create a door to take me back to Disney Castle, but nothing happens. Dammit! My light is too weak. This room reeks of evil. I chance a cry for help. "Hello?" My voice is strained. "Hello, is anyone there?" Oh god, just let my captors come and kill me already. Silence is my only companion. I start to tremble as tears of pain streak down my face. "Please, someone!" I curse the adrenaline pumping through my veins this very moment. It's the reason I haven't passed out from the pain yet. And that's all I want right now. I just want to pass out so I won't have to tolerate this agony. Or I want someone to put me out of my misery.

An hour rolls by slowly. At least, I think it's an hour. It feels like an hour. It's so hard to tell the time without a clock. I feel kind of woozy. I've lost a lot of blood. Maybe I can pass out soon. I close my eyes. That's when a dark portal finally opens on a wall. I sit up, trying to be alert but finding it almost impossible. I hold my Keyblade ready, not really sure if I'll be able to use it. Before I can even get a good look at my captor, several chains shoot out of the dark portal and wrap around my arms, legs, waist, and neck, then embed themselves into the wall, pinning me there. My Keyblade falls to the ground uselessly.

"Just a precaution," says the smooth voice of Maleficent as she glides into the room, bringing with her a stifling air of darkness. I can't even gasp. The chains around my neck are too tight. I should have known it was her. "Long time no see, my dear." I have a million curses I want to throw at her, but my mouth is dry and my throat is tight. I can't move at all. "How have you been?"

"Better…" I choke out while trying to keep my breathing steady. She smiles cruelly.

"I can see that." She moves slowly around the room as she speaks. "You and your friends are rather dim-witted, falling so perfectly into my trap. You think I would let a rogue shadow Heartless wander the Land of Dragons where one of your soldiers would see it? I _wanted_ it to be seen. I knew you and your people would come scampering to the mountain to stop my army." Her words are drawled and spoken with purpose. "I put a curse on that mountain, a rather complicated one, so the moment you all stepped inside, you were sapped of all your light. It's the same curse that's flooding this room as we speak. I knew that without your light, you would succumb to the darkness faster. I didn't count on you trying to sacrifice yourself. It almost ruined my whole plan, so I acted quickly, pulling you out of the mountain before its destruction. And here we are now…"

I try not to give her the satisfaction of knowing I'm bothered. "…So now what? What do you want with me?"

"Let me be frank with you. I have left you alive with the intention of bringing you over to my side once more. You were a very valuable ally during the first Heartless invasion. This time, however, your job will be significantly easier. I do not desire the Final Keyhole. I simply want to see all life across the universe under my control. Starting with you." She kneels before me, touching my chin with a long finger. I jerk my head away.

"Go to hell…" I hiss. She laughs.

"I never said you would be willingly working for me. We'll see how a few days of hunger treat you." With that, she sweeps from my prison cell, back through the portal whence she came.

I breathe a sigh of relief. While she's gone, I can work on recharging my mana and break out of here. My hand flicks to my Keyblade. It doesn't move. I try summoning it to my hands. It remains motionless. I panic. With a final attempt, I banish the Keyblade and it disappears. I try calling it back, but nothing happens. I curse out loud. There goes my plan of escape.

My thoughts drift to Sora. I wonder how he's doing, if he's safe, where he is now. He probably thinks I'm dead. I wish to god that things didn't have to turn out the way they did. But it's too late for that. I'm going to rot in this cell. There's no way in hell I'd ever work for Maleficent again.

oOoOo

Hours roll by unnoticed. My mana fails to recharge. Must be the curse...

I finally manage to get some sleep. It was fitful and I would awake to the pain in my legs. I would forget each time where I was. In truth, I still don't know where I am exactly. What world is this? The décor is too dark and plain to be something inside the Castle That Never Was or Castle Oblivion. But those are the only two worlds that Maleficent might have control over. My heart sinks. Any hope of a rescue is quickly lost. My friends and loved ones think I'm dead. Even if somehow I get a message out, they wouldn't know where to find me. I feel hopeless…

A dark portal snaps into existence before me and three hulking Defender Heartless lurch into the room. I tense up for a moment before assuming a carefully neutral mask. If they're here to intimidate me into giving up my freedom, it's not going to work. They say nothing, but then again, they're Heartless and I don't expect them to say anything. As they approach me, the chains around my waist pull me into a standing position. I bite my lip to keep from crying out. Just when I was starting to forget the pain in my broken legs…

They don't waste any time, immediately hitting me across the face. I clench my jaw. The inside of my mouth tastes like copper. Another strike hits me square in the chest. I cough, unable to draw breath for a few seconds. I can feel blood trickling down my chin. One Defender grabs me by the hair and punches me repeatedly. It takes all my strength not to yell out. Another Defender kicks my legs. Unable to hold back, I scream in pain.

The beatings continue for only a few minutes, but it feels like an eternity. They take turns delivering excruciating blows. When they finish, they leave without a word. I groan, collapsing down as much as the chains allow me to. My vision is streaked with blood. It hurts to breathe. I'm pretty sure they broke one of my ribs. I know it's only going to get worse from here on out until I either give in and take Maleficent's side, or die. I'd rather the latter happened sooner than later. I can't give into the darkness. Not this time. My heart is so close to teetering over the edge and I think Maleficent knows it. I can't…

oOoOo

I awake to the sounds of my stomach growling. God… I'm so hungry… Starving… I haven't eaten in over 40 hours. I've actually lost track of time. My head is pounding from lack of food. The chains around my wrists are painfully tight, digging into the flesh and drawing blood if I struggle too much. I'm ready to gnaw my own arm off if it meant I could satisfy my hunger and be free at the same time. The Defenders have been in here three more times since the first encounter, silently beating me to a bloody pulp. My clothes are ripped and torn, revealing all the nasty gashes, bruises, and deep wounds across my chest.

The sound of a portal forming makes me weakly draw my head up. Two Defenders flank Maleficent. She regards me with cold eyes. "Are you ready to cooperate?" she asks. I take a second to spit out the blood from my mouth. I don't answer her. She should know by now that I wouldn't betray my friends again. I'd sooner die. "Riku, dear, I only wish the best for you."

"Funny way of showing it…" I mutter. My voice is tired and hoarse. It hurts to talk.

She ignores my sarcasm and approaches me. "Take your rightful place at my side and all this pain and misery will stop. You don't need to let yourself suffer for nothing." She kneels in front of me. "Your so-called 'friends' aren't coming for you. As we speak, they're holding your funeral." I shudder, thinking about the heartache Sora must be going through. He tried so hard to save me… He tried everything in his power to protect me and keep me safe… and this is end result. His efforts were in vain. I miss him so much…

"Let me go…" I whisper, looking at the ground. "I won't join you, so either kill me or let me go." She chuckles hollowly at my request.

"But where's the fun in that?" Fun? She thinks this is funny? I grit my teeth and growl lowly. "Now, now, don't be like that. As I recall, you took great pleasure in bringing me fresh hearts once upon a time. We made a splendid team. I only wish to return to those happier days. Don't you?" She strokes my cheek and I twist away. "Don't be a stubborn fool. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. No one, not even the Keyblade Master, can stop my armies. Sooner or later, I will have dominance over the entire known universe. It's your choice whether or not you'll be alive to see it." She straightens up and turns to leave, snapping her fingers she does so. "Think about it, dear." She's gone again. The Defenders advance on me menacingly and I cringe, knowing what's about to come. I can only pray I black out quicker than last time.

oOoOo

I gasp as I awaken. I must've leaned forward in my sleep, putting pressure on my broken ribs. At this point, everything that isn't numb is in complete agony. I don't know how much longer I can hold out. How long has it been? At least a couple days. A lifetime? Who knows…? I feel so faint and weak.

I groan as a dark portal forms in front of me. No doubt it's time for my regular beating. I bury my head against my shoulder and the wall. Instead of receiving a painful blow to the head or a kick to the stomach, soft warm hands touch my face. I roll my head towards the newcomer and I'm surprisingly met with human eyes, beautiful purple-blue, attached to peach-coloured skin and short red hair.

"Kairi…?" I whisper. Kairi, my redhead princess, my little sister, is here. I must be dreaming. I blink slowly, trying to make the hallucination go away. She's still here. She kneels in front of me, staring at me with horror and sadness, gently running her fingers down my bruised face. I wince.

"Oh god, Riku…" She starts to cry. "What have they done to you?" I can't believe she's actually here! She found me! I cough a little in an attempt to laugh. My mind is racing with a million questions. How did she find me? How did she get here? Where's Sora? Did they defeat Maleficent? She reaches into her pouch, retrieving a vial of green healing potion. But she doesn't give it to me yet. "This is going to hurt…" She isn't talking about the potion. She's staring intently at my legs and I suddenly know what she's about to do. She places both hands on the sickly green leg with the splinter sticking out. "On three, okay?" Her voice is shaky and nervous. My eyes widen.

"No, wait-"

"One, two-"

"Kairi!"

"Three!" A horrible cracking noise fills the air, accompanied immediately by my own screams as she sets the bone back into place. I have never felt anything more unbearable. God, I feel like I'm gonna die! I breathe heavily and quickly, hyperventilating. Tears run down my bloody cheeks as I bang my head repeatedly against the stone wall behind me. My fists are gripped so forcefully that I'm afraid my fingers may snap. But she's not done. She's moving on to the other leg.

"No, no, no!" I beg. "Please, don't!"

Her eyes offer me a piteous look. "I can't give you the potion until the bones are set." I know that, but damn it, it hurts so much. She gives me a second to catch my breath before she starts her count. "One… two… three!" Another stomach-churning crack followed by more screaming. I clench my eyes tightly. There's a rush as she tips the potion into my mouth. "Okay! Okay, it's over! I promise! I'm so sorry!" She's crying. It's funny how I notice that above the blinding pain. I choke as the potion slides down my throat. It burns and I want to gag. "Just relax…" The potion doesn't seem to heal anything, but it dulls the pain and I sigh in relief.

"How did you get here?" I ask slowly. It doesn't hurt so much to speak. My mind is going fuzzy. Everything is so warm and comfortable.

"That doesn't matter," she says, running her fingers across my cheek. "What matters is we found you and we're gonna take you home!" Her tears dry and she smiles brightly. My heart soars with hope. The nightmare's over! I can go home! I can see Sora again!

"Where's Sora?" Her face creases ever so slightly with something I couldn't identify.

"He's not here. He's waiting for us back in the castle." The way she said it… it was almost like she was put out by me bringing him up. But what am I so worried for? We're going home! She's still staring at me, almost like she's waiting for something. I stare back.

"Aren't you… gonna break these chains?" Her eyes roam the chains, but I can't help feeling like she's staring _through_ the chains at my broken body.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know how to break the magic binding you. Maleficent is the only one who knows how." My heart sinks.

"You didn't kill her, did you?"

"No, of course not!" She smiles awkwardly at me. Something doesn't feel right. Her fingers are laced tenderly around the back of my neck. "The only way she's going to let you go is if you…" She leans forward so close that I can feel her breath on my lips. "You have to join her side." Maybe it's the drowsy effect of the potion or the proximity of her face to mine but I can't think straight. Did she just ask me to join forces with Maleficent?

"You can't be serious…" I mumble. My brain feels like it's going numb.

"It's the only way…" Her breath is so warm and inviting. But I panic. This isn't right. She's too close. "You have to give into the darkness… It's the only way we can be together." Wait, back up. _WHAT?_ Why is she saying this?! Why is she acting this way? She knows Sora and I are together… _were_ together. Are we still together? Does he know I'm still alive? He must know. She said he's waiting for us at the castle. But if he does, why is she-

My thoughts are cut off by her lips delicately pressed against mine. It sends a shock through my whole system. My bound arms aren't able to push her off me. I'm too stunned to speak when she pulls away. "You want the pain to end, don't you?" Her voice is like velvet, smooth and soft. Part of me actually hungers for her touch, the smell of her flowery fragrance, the gentleness of her female grace, the feel of her curves. But a larger, louder part of me screams with guilt. What about Sora? I love him! Don't I...? Oh god, I can't think! I want the pain to stop!

"Make it stop…" I cry weakly as I clench my eyes shut. I sense her smile and her warm breath is on my lips once more. My heart is thundering in my chest. This kiss is more passionate than the first. I feel her dragging her fingernails lightly against my bare chest. She straddles me with ease, being very careful to avoid pressing against any of my wounds. Her tongue grazes my lips. I gasp as tingles of pleasure ripple across my body. But this isn't right. She isn't the one I want…My eyes widen. She isn't Sora.

I pull away and speak quickly, trying to get in some words before she can claim my lips again. "Stop! Stop, this isn't… this isn't right at all!" She looks properly hurt.

"Isn't this what you want?" I shake my head quickly, still wide-eyed. She chews on her bottom lip, upset. "I… I thought…"

"You thought wrong…" Suddenly, I'm not so sure if the girl sitting in front of me is actually Kairi. The real Kairi knows I love Sora. She wouldn't come onto me like this, especially in a situation like the one I'm in right now. She would never ask me to give into the darkness. "Who are you?" Her gaze snaps to mine, hurt in her eyes.

"Kairi!" She's defensive. "I'm Kairi! You know that!" I shake my head slowly.

"No… I don't."

"We've been friends for over a decade. How could you not know me by now?" She leans forward, capturing my lips again. I turn my head, trying to get away. "Why are you resisting? This is what you want. This is what you've been craving for four years."

"I thought this was what I wanted. But it's not. Not anymore." She squints at me, confused.

"But then… who do you desire?" Now it's my turn to stare at her with confusion.

"Sora…" I don't know why I just told her that. If she was Kairi, she'd already be aware of that. If she wasn't, well… I don't want to think about that. "You know that. At least… Kairi knows that." I fix her with a hard cold glare. She frowns. I've caught her and she knows it. Her gentle fingers turn violent, grabbing the back of my hair. Her face is flashing dangerously and her hands lose their warmth.

"It would've been so much easier if you remained blissfully ignorant. If you just gave in quietly, the pain would stop." She gets off me roughly and I'm left feeling cold. As she walks to the other side of the room, I catch a glimpse of her true form, some kind of Heartless creature wearing a long black dress that seems to be part of her flesh. I've never seen this breed of Heartless before. I can't believe how close I was to giving in. This impostor pretending to be my childhood friend, trying to _seduce _me! I feel like I'm gonna be sick.

A portal forms next to her and my three favourite Defenders stomp in. The Heartless Kairi throws me one last glance before she steps out, leaving me alone with my doom. The moment she's gone, the potion she gave me wears off and the pain across my body returns full force. Lovely. Just in time to receive more.

oOoOo

I think it's been a week since the battle in the mountain. I had the strangest dream before I woke just now. I dreamt that I was standing on a stain-glass platform and I had a brief conversation with Sora. I had been worried in the dream that my heart would fall into darkness sooner than later, so I gave him my Way To Dawn keychain for safe keeping. I didn't want Maleficent somehow getting her hands on a Keyblade. Somehow… I knew I was on the verge of giving in. When I woke, I had a strange feeling like the dream had been real, like my heart had actually connected with Sora's, even for just a moment, like an astral projection.

When my brain settles back into reality, I groan. I have fresh cuts and bruises across my entire body. I slump over, wondering vaguely when it will all end. When will Maleficent let me go already? She's kept me barely alive for days and days. I'm starving, bleeding, and filthy. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep. I'm feverish and delusional. Everything aches. I bite my chapped lips and start to cry. I'm trying to be strong, I really am! But I just want to go home… I want to go home…

I gasp when a door to darkness appears. "No…" I croak. I don't want anymore pain. I've endured so much over the last seven days. "Please…" I can't see straight.

"Riku!" a voice cries. I know that voice. How could I ever forget? I turn my head in the direction it's coming from. "Oh god, Riku!" Hands prop me up carefully. I glance into piecing blue eyes. It can't be him. It just can't be…

"Go away…" I cough, wincing in pain as my lungs protest. I'm not in the mood to be made a fool of today. I know it's not him.

"It's me!" his voice says. "It's So-"

"Sure it is," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I can almost hear the hurt in his voice when he gasps.

"We're gonna get you outta here, just hang on!" There's a flash of light, a warm glow, a Keyblade. It slices through the chains around me like a knife through butter. I collapse forward without the tension of the bindings holding me up. Those hands are back, holding me and rolling me gently on my back. I whimper in pain. "I'm sorry!" The hands on my chest glow faintly with a green light and everything stops hurting at once. The wounds are gone, every last one. I can breathe properly again. My vision clears and I see him. Oh god, I see him!

"Sora…" I'm weary and mistrustful. What if he's not Sora? What if it's that Heartless again? But this feels different than before. That Heartless couldn't free me, couldn't heal me the way Sora just did. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it is, silly!" His voice is light, yet strained as if he's actually scared for me and trying very hard to act strong for me. "Who else would I be?"

"How do I know for sure? How did you find me…?"

"You called me here…" Sora smiles at me. His smile is brilliant, so much that I can't hold my suspicions. He knows about the dream. He must've come straight after. I start to laugh with relief. Maybe I'm delirious. Maybe I'm just so desperate to see him again. But it's him! It has to be! Our hearts are connected! He must've figured it out! He's here to save me from this torment. I try to sit up but find my body's gone numb. "Easy, big guy. Let the spell work its magic." His hands smooth out my grimy hair. I must look like a total mess, but he gazes at me with a look of pure adoration. My heart skips a beat. This has to be real. Oh god, please let it be real! "You're crying." Am I? I didn't even notice.

"I thought I'd never see you again...." My throat is tight and dry. He holds me close, lets me sob against his shirt while he wraps his arms around me tightly. I lose myself to this moment. I have never been more relieved in my life to see him, to touch him. I shudder.

"It's okay, I'm here now. That's all that matters." I feel his lips kiss the top of my head affectionately. My mind is getting hazy, but I chalk it up to the shock of seeing Sora again. He sits me up against the wall, still stroking my hair and cheek. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He brushes a few loose hairs from my face, getting a good look at me. His bright blue eyes drop slightly, landing on my lips. He leans in carefully, hovering just above my lips. My breath hitches. My ears fill with white noise. My only focus is his mouth breathing softly against mine, not quite touching. He seems to be gauging my reaction, waiting to see what I'll do. I'm so weak and tired that I can't lift my head to complete this kiss. My eyes plead with him, telling him to close the gap. He does, with just a hint of hesitation that is so Sora. The kiss is soft and unsure on his part, but I deepen it to let him know he's doing okay. After a week of torture, I'm in heaven.

I sigh into the kiss. My mind's gone completely blank. He pulls back, still smiling that smile, the one that makes me want to melt in his arms. "Do you love me?" His question is quiet, almost inaudible. I blink slowly, trying to process what he just said. Why can't I think clearly?

"Yes…" His smile grows.

"Do you trust me?"

"With my life." He brushes his lips against mine.

"Will you do everything I say?" I only hesitate a moment. Why is he asking me this?

"…Yes." I'm rewarded with a passionate kiss. He presses against me, his hands wandering down my sides, his legs on either side of my hips. I gasp for air, feeling a pleasurable sensation crawl across my skin.

"Everything? Without question?" His fingers tenderly rub against my waist. His lips are working on my neck. I bite my lip, panting slightly. It feels so good. I don't want him to stop.

"Yes!" I moan. And then, something happens. My consciousness is pushed to the farthest reaches of my mind. What's happening? I'm no longer in control. I scream for dominance over my actions, but I emit no noise at all. I don't know how, but I've become a prison in my own body. Sora pulls away from me, smirking. He stands up and takes a few steps away. He folds his arms, unconcerned about the state of my mind.

"Stand up," he commands coldly. My body reacts and next thing I know, I'm standing. His grin broadens. "Raise your left arm." My left arm lifts of its own free will. "Take two steps to the right." I do as I'm told. He laughs out loud. "Touch your nose!" My left hand connects with my nose. He cackles at the action, walking forward to poke me in the chest. "Very good, puppet." A dark portal appears next to him and Maleficent appears. She seems pleased, standing behind Sora and placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Well done," she whispers to him. A moment later, it's not Sora anymore. It's the dark creature that had pretended to be Kairi. I feel queasy, but my expression is blank, out of my control. I've been tricked twice, only this time, it cost me my free will. I'm so weak…

Maleficent dismisses her minion and turns to me, smirking a cool smile. "So… it was Sora all along. All that time you claimed to be looking for Kairi's heart, it wasn't her heart you were after. It was his." I want to scream and shout, to fight, to kill her for manipulating me, but I can't move. Goddamn it, I can't move! She's so fuckin' proud of herself now. "I had no idea you felt that way about him. I might have suspected when you created a Heartless in his image, but I thought it was a mere obsession. A longing for something familiar amidst the darkness." She draws her finger down my cheek but I can't flinch away this time. Go ahead and gloat, bitch, 'cuz as soon as I figure out a way to regain control, you're dead.

"You don't know how hard it was to gain control over your mind. You're quite the fighter. I had to starve you and beat the spirit out of you just to even graze your mental defences. And even then, I had to resort to letting Mimic do all the work. She's a clever little beast. Gets in the minds of her victims and shows them their hearts' desire. Once I was able to determine who you were lusting for, well… the rest just fell into place." She begins laughing. "How devilishly wicked! Two boys…" She trails off, still amused. "It's going to make the rest of my plans that much more interesting." She presses a hand to my chest, lifting the fatigue and hunger, likely to restore my fighting strength. I still can't move. If I could, though, she'd be dead ten times over by now. "I have some questions that will aid me in my plans." A throne materialises out of thin air behind her and she seats herself. "First, does the Keyblade Master love you the way you love him?"

I try valiantly to keep my mouth shut, but the answer tumbles out regardless. "Yes."

"And if he were to learn that you were alive, do you suppose he'd come looking for you?"

"Yes."

She tents her fingers. "Good. That's what I figured. I have plans for you, Riku dear. You will have complete control over the Heartless through me. I want you to go to Nottingham. Set fire to the village. Convert Prince John and his men. Then I want you to report to Fantasia, the Ant Village, Tomorrowland, anywhere that has weak defences. I want you to strike fear into the hearts of everyone. Get Sora's attention. Toy with him. Lure him out of hiding. You can sense his heart, his Keyblade. Seek him out once he's left the safety of his precious castle. And then, we'll destroy him." She waves her hands and the torn clothes on my body transforms into a militaristic outfit.

"It's been enhanced." She sounds pleased with her own accomplishment. "Cinderella and Aurora's fairy godmothers aren't the only fairies capable of making enchanted garments. You should be able to use your 'Drive' abilities to help you unlock hidden parts of darkness in your heart without outright turning into a Heartless. I can't allow you to fall completely because you're no use to me as a mindless shadow." She eyes me carefully, inspecting me to see if I'm fit to perform my new duties. "Show me your Keyblade." I hold my hand up, but nothing happens. I'm filled with immense relief. So part of the dream I had was true. I _did_ manage to give Sora my Keyblade. I've never been more grateful for him being chosen as the secondary Keyblade Master.

Maleficent hisses with displeasure. "What have you done with it?" She doesn't wait for an answer. She's already creating a new one out of the darkness. "Never mind. Take this." She places a familiar blade in my hand, the cold weight of the Soul Eater. "It's just a replica Keyblade, not as powerful, but enough to get the job done. Use it well." I wonder vaguely just how she has the power to create a Keyblade at all.

She dismisses me. I feel my head nod once. My hand rises up, despite my internal protests, and I create a door to darkness that will whisk me to my first target. "When you get back," she announces. "I want you to tell me everything you know about King Mickey's army and how we can crush them."

oOoOo

Everything that's happening is like a bad nightmare, unfocused and blurry. I keep expecting to wake up at any moment, but it never comes. I find myself standing in a forest on the outskirts of a small medieval village. My hands have become silvery wolf-paws and my face has gone furry.

(**music2**)

I walk into the village and without a second thought, I cast Dark Firana on the rooftops of a dozen cottages. I hear screams of terror from within as the animal people flee from their homes. I keep walking past the carnage, straight into the castle in the centre of the village. There are hundreds of guards in the courtyard. I summon Heartless to my side, pointing at the elephant and rhino guards. The animals are no match for the Heartless. They're converted easily.

With my new army coming together, I send out several platoons to the forests to seek out and kill Robin Hood and his Merry Men. I send the rest out to the village to wipe out a majority of the people. I'm terrified of what I've become! I can only pray that someone saves these people, that someone kills my Heartless before they can do any real damage, that someone kills _me_ before I hurt anyone.

I make my way up to the castle throne room. There's a cowardly lion in fine robes sitting in the corner, sucking his thumb like a child. He cries out in alarm, throwing a snake at me. I bat the snake aside and set fire to it. After locking the door behind me and closing all the curtains with a flick of the wrist, I approach the lion slowly. I know this man. He is Prince John, the tyrant who's been stealing money from his people for selfish purposes. Despite any misdeeds he's dealt in the past, I don't want him to die. I don't want to kill him! But my arm raises, pointing the Soul Eater at the cowering lion.

In one swift movement, I've plunged the fake Keyblade into his heart, unlocking it and leaving it open to the darkness. He quivers as his form starts to change. The shadows congregate toward him, swirling and churning as his fur turns black and his form grows large. I back away and watch on. When he's finished transforming, his eyes are a bright glowing yellow and his shape is a terrifying sight. He growls lowly, waiting for instruction.

My ears perk up when I hear a slam against the door, followed by a whoosh of magic. A Keyblade has unlocked the door. My heart would have soared if it were mine to control. Sora's here! The real Sora! He'll stop me! He'll do something! But before he gets more than three steps into the room, I create a Door and make my escape. I cry out internally for Sora to follow, to come for me, but he doesn't know who I am. He doesn't recognize me. He wouldn't be looking for me if he thought I was still dead. And so, I travel to another world, far from Nottingham and far from my love.

The world I'm standing on is Fantasia. The attacks here have already begun without me. Centaurs and unicorns flee from the Heartless. I spy Kairi in the distance, battling with Heartless that resemble mushroom and flowers. My legs involuntarily take me to an ancient Greek-styled building where hundreds of flamingos and ostriches are hiding. My eyes skim over the frightened crowd. I grab three birds and electrocute the rest. I can hardly believe what I'm doing. The three birds I've spared run for their lives. This is what Maleficent wants. She wants survivors to tell the tales, to spread the fear.

I cross the courtyard of a lavish floral castle. There are cherub Heartless bouncing around, shooting darts out of their pipes at the fleeing denizens. A winged horse kicks them from the sky, stomping them out of existence. Lightening flashes as the god Zeus throws bolts at the Heartless to defend his people. I cast Dark Protega over my 'comrades'. As several centaurs run by, I grab one by her braided tail, thrusting my blade through her back. She screams before collapsing, dead or dying, I'm not sure. I… Oh my god…

I'm not even given a moment as I'm carried away to a gathering of wounded, shivering centaur children. Christ, they're only children! But I can't stop myself from bringing my Keyblade down on them. Their blood stains my hands and clothes. Their mothers shriek with agony and loss. I seemingly ignore the cries as I open a portal, summoning the massive Chernabog to rain hellfire down on these poor people. Oh please, Kairi! Stop me! But she's not here. She's still fighting on the other side of this once-peaceful meadow. A moment later, I suppose to ensure that Chernabog would take care of the rest, I create a Door to take me to the Ant Village.

Like Fantasia, this world is already under attack. My form changes to a spider. I balance myself on four legs while I use the other four as arms. The ant people are throwing rocks and twigs at the grasshopper Heartless. But they aren't fighters, they're gatherers. Leading them at the front are several squads of bright bugs and a scowling blue ant with spiky brown hair. I internally tense up. It's Sky! I want to run over to him, draw attention to myself, but instead, my legs walk in the opposite direction. I head up the ant hill. The entrance is out of sight and unprotected. A foolish move. I summon several exploding-type Heartless to my side and send them in. A moment later, an explosion from within goes off, followed by chaos and screams.

Taking that as my cue, I walk in. The smoke is heavy and conceals my face. With a few easy swipes, I've killed dozens of ant people. My legs walk with purpose, seeking out someone in particular. And when I find her, I panic. It's the ant princess, just a little girl who can barely fly. She holds on desperately to her mother while their guards approach me, weapons drawn. I run in quick, grabbing a guard's spear with one hand and plunging it into another guard's chest. Then I yank the spear out of the first guard's hand, snap it in half and toss it away. The ant princess whimpers, scared and traumatized.

I spin around, slicing three ant guards in half. Their dead bodies hit the ground with a sick squelch noise. There's no one left to protect the princess and her mother. The queen makes a brave attempt to protect her child, but she's not the one I'm interested in. I grab her by the antenna and throw her aside. She cries out "NO!" as I cut the head off the princess. The head rolls to my feet. The look of pure horror on her face will burn my memory for years to come, I just know it. With the job done, I make an exit portal to leave. I'll never forget the horrible screams of sorrow that child's mother made.

oOoOo

Eleven worlds. I traveled to eleven worlds, inflicting pain, suffering, and misery upon the innocent people there. My hands will never wash free from these atrocities. This is even worse than the first time Maleficent manipulated me. I may have been working for her of my own free will back then, but at least she never asked me to kill anyone, if converting people into Heartless doesn't count as killing someone.

After everything was said and done, I find myself in the walls of the Castle That Never Was. There are Heartless everywhere covering almost every stretch of wall, every corner, every ceiling. They eye me hungrily as I walk by, clearing a path for me. I'm heading to Maleficent's throne room to report in, as asked. The door handles are cold to the touch as I pull them open. She waits for me patiently. I kneel before her, feeling a dreadful sense of hopelessness. Not once during my campaign of bloodshed was I confronted by anyone I know personally. I had been really hoping that someone would be able to stop me, but I was just too powerful, even more so than before Maleficent caught me in her net. There's something about the clothes. They're bewitched…

"Rise, General," Maleficent drawls. I stand up straight. "It's time to take everything you know about the Disney army and put it to use." She approaches me. Her hands hover beside my head and her eyes close. I feel a strange sensation, like our minds connecting. She's absorbing all my knowledge, adding it to her own. I can feel the transaction. But surely it should be a two-way connection. I push back against her mind, pulling thoughts and images from her brain. It seems to be the only bit of control I have over my actions. Her eyes flicker open and she slaps me. "Bad child…" She sweeps away. But that doesn't matter because I got something from her thoughts. I found out how she's seemingly immortal.

I remember back to when she fought Sora for the first time, losing badly. She had asked me for help and I unlocked the darkness in her heart to give her untold powers, transforming her into a dragon creature. It was the wrong thing to do. When Sora 'killed' her, all he did was send her heart to Kingdom Hearts. But somehow, the experience tied her existence to the darkness, to Kingdom Hearts itself. She spent a year there, gaining the knowledge and power of the heart of the universe but unable to do anything with it. And then, when the fairies from the Enchanted Dominion uttered her name, remembered her strongly, it was enough to restore her, to pull her from the realm between light and dark. She was able to revive herself with their memories. But her new mortal form wasn't strong enough to handle the unlimited power, the ultimate knowledge. It's taken her years to control it and for the information to unfurl bit by bit in her consciousness. But now she's completely in control. She's become a god in her own right.

So long as darkness exists anywhere, she exists. And she will continue existing forever because there's no way to stop the spread of darkness.

"I think it's safe to assume you've got Sora's attention," Maleficent says, sitting down in her throne. She must not be aware of the knowledge I've gained from her. "Go to Twilight Town. Make a ruckus." I bow once before stepping into a dark portal. I only hope that what I've learned about her comes in handy someday.

oOoOo

I have never seen Sora stare at me with such hatred before. Not like the way he's staring at me now. I want to scream, to tell him what's happening, but my mouth doesn't move. He's attacking me. His blows are meant to kill. He thinks I'm a Heartless. He's going to kill me! Maybe it's better this way. I may as well be a Heartless for real. I don't want to live with the images of horror I've seen.

But my body won't respond to my commands. It fights back with just as much ferocity as Sora. Explosions are going off around us. Traverse Town is burning to the ground. It was all Maleficent's idea. When I sensed Sora leave Disney Castle, Maleficent moved her warships into place and sent me to intercept him. When the bombs started to drop, I couldn't help but feel like she doesn't really care if I perish in this battle. I'm a means to her end. Just a pawn. Expendable.

Sometime during the battle, Sora's hands wrap around my neck, choking the life out of me. I struggle for breath, feeling dizzy and ready to pass out. My heart is pumping frantically to compensate for the lack of oxygen getting to my brain. This is the end. I want him to finish it. I just want it to be over. But he doesn't end it. His eyes go wide and he jumps away from me as if my skin burned him. He's trembling and I can't figure out why. Why is he reacting like this? I need him to be strong! He can't let me win! I can't stand the thought of killing him!

I've caught my breath and I'm launching at him again. He calls my name, tells me to stop. He's reluctant to fight me. Does he know? Did he figure it out? Oh please, let him figure it out! He tries to bind me, but the spell has no effect. He shouts for a retreat. And then, he's gone. He knows. Thank god, he knows! He must! It's the only explanation for the switch. One minute, he's fully prepared to kill me, and the next… That look he gave me before escaping, it was bewildered and yet hopeful. He must've felt my racing pulse. I hope to god he did and he'll work it out. I can't take another day as Maleficent's puppet.

oOoOo

I'm in the Deep Jungle. I sensed Sora's heart leave Disney Castle and my standing orders are to follow him wherever he goes and kill him. And that's exactly what I'm trying to do right now. I've already taken out the gorillas that came to Sora's aid and I've sent Sky soaring to the other side of the jungle. I fired a Dark Aura blast right into Kairi's chest, knocking her down. Oh god I hope she's okay!

Next thing I know, there's a heavy weight on my back. We tumble to the ground and struggle for a few minutes. When I look up, Sora's staring down at me with a fierce look of determination. And then, his lips are on mine. He's kissing me! My breathing hitches and for a split second, I'm myself again. I close my eyes and let the moment wash over me, wash away the evil memories, cleanse my soul, purge the darkness. I open my eyes and Sora's hands are on my forehead. He murmurs something I don't catch. I feel a painful jolt and I black out.

And then, nothing.

The next time I wake, it's in a hospital room. I'm surrounded by people I don't recognize right away. There's Kairi… and Sora. He looks heavenly, smiling down at me, telling me everything will be okay. I can move my own fingers again. The mind-control is gone. I'm free! He saved me!

But I can't tell him how much he means to me because my memories are missing. Puzzle pieces scattered across my mind. It's not until I'm in Memory Cave that everything clears up, my instincts as a Keyblade Wielder come rushing back to me triggered by hitting my head and my need to protect Sora's heart. The moment I saw Sora get ambushed by the Heartless, the tingle of magic, the weight of a Keyblade in my hand, the twilight in my heart ready to burst with magic, brought me back. It's like whatever was keeping my memories trapped and hidden away finally broke. The chains rearranged themselves in their proper order.

But until that moment, I was lost.

It's quiet now. The only sounds are the distant waves crashing against the shoreline of Play Island. I can hear birds singing and seagulls cawing outside the cave. I've never been more relieved to hear their retched noises. Everything about this island. I've missed it so much.

As I finish explaining everything that's happened to me in the last two weeks to Sora, I take a deep breath. He's staring at me with wide eyes. I wait for the angry shouts, the rage, the revulsion. I want him to say something. But it doesn't come. I need him to be angry with me. I need him to berate me for my weakness, to accuse me of being a traitor. All I get is his piercing blue eyes staring at me. But they're not accusing like I thought they would be, nor do they hold unwanted pity. He's just… staring.

Next thing I know, he's kissing me, his hands tangling in my hair. His lips are so soft, softer than I remember. It's like he thinks he can make all the bad stuff go away with every kiss. Maybe it can, because god knows I need the comfort. I press back, wrapping my arms around his waist. This is all I need to know that he forgives me. This is real. This is my Sora.

"We'll find a way," he mumbles against my neck. "We'll stop her. We'll find a way to kill her." He pulls away and his eyes flicker with rage that isn't directed at me. "We'll make her pay for what she's done."

oOoOo

A/N: So… you think Sora's mad or something? :D I hope this was a satisfying chapter to help fill in some of the gaps in Riku's memories and experiences. It was a tough challenge to maintain the balance between Riku's strong persona and the average human tolerance for pain and torture. I don't care who you are, I think many people would crack under the pressure unless they're either trained specifically to endure high amounts of pain (which Riku was never trained for) or they're clinically insane. Riku's tough, but he ain't THAT tough. :D Stay tuned for more! Only two chapters left!


	19. Chapter 19: Calm Before the Storm

**A/N:** Music time! **Music1** is Hayling by FC Kahuna. Be sure to find the album version, as it's a bit longer. **Music2** is Supermoves by Overseer

**Hourglass**

Chapter 19: Calm Before the Storm

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sweat beads rolled down the side of Riku's head and down the back of his neck. He was having a hard time keeping his breathing regular. The closed door in front of him was foreboding and threatening. Behind it was the family he hadn't seen in over six months. He didn't know if he could handle it. But he loved his family and after everything that had happened in the last few days, he owed it to them to visit and let them know he was still alive.

He nodded curtly at Sora. "They're my parents." Sora offered a weak smile and took Riku's hand into his own, squeezing lightly. He knocked three times. Riku took a shuddering deep breath. They waited only a few seconds. Mrs. Jou opened the door with excitement, her smiling shining down on her child despite the tears in her eyes.

"Riku!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "My baby's come home!" She laughed and wept, holding Riku tightly. Sora smiled faintly, happy for them. Kairi and Mr. Jou were standing a few feet inside, sharing in the smiles and the euphoria that seemed to sweep over them all. When Riku's mother released the silverette, she turned to Sora and gave him an equally crushing hug. "You brought him back! Oh thank you! Thank you!" She turned back to Riku. "I thought I'd never see you again! But you're ali-" She paused, covering her mouth, realising that she was supposed to be acting like Riku was simply coming home from a 4-year-long coma.

"It's okay, mom," Riku whispered, hugging her. "I remember everything." Her eyes went wide.

"Everything? Even all that…Keyblade stuff?" Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end of her question. Riku chuckled quietly.

"Yes, everything. I'm so sorry about all the worry I put you through. We… didn't mean to be gone for so long." He looked to Sora for help. "How much did you tell her?" Sora looked nervous for a bit.

"Enough," he replied. He never told them about the darkness taking Riku or how for the last two weeks, he had been kidnapped by the enemy. They didn't need to know that unless Riku wanted them to know. And at the time, it wasn't important to tell them specific details. Sora and Kairi originally were supposed to drop him off and leave. The less Riku's parents knew, the better.

"We're still having a hard time coming to grips with everything Sora told us," Mrs. Jou said as she led her son into their living room to sit. "Magic is real? And there are other worlds? He was a little vague, to be honest, but now that you're here, you can fill in the gaps!" The expression on her face was a mix between fascination and motherly worry, as if she were eager to listen to tales of heroism across the galaxy, but scared to hear about the dangers Riku had put himself in. Riku, for his part, was reluctant to divulge many details, but considering who was asking, he was willing to steel his resolve and start talking.

"It's a bit of a long story…" he whispered, taking the hot chocolate offered to him by Kairi. Sora sat next to him, still holding his hand in a comforting manner. "I'm not… as pure as you may think."

Mrs. Jou's expression wavered slightly. "I don't understand." Her voice was calm and even, but one could tell if they listened carefully that it was taking a great amount of strain to keep her voice as such. "You're not… pure?" This was it. All the ugly secrets Riku had been keeping from his parents were about to come tumbling out.

"I know what it means to think the universe is out to get you and the only natural reaction is to lash out. And I lashed out so violently…" Riku sighed deeply, taking a second to compose his thoughts. "I've been touched by darkness. I was practically swimming in it four years ago. The Keyblade originally chose me to be the Bearer, but I used it for evil and it rejected me." His parents frowned as he continued. "I was willingly working for a witch for months, following her orders, controlling her Heartless minions, trying to kill my best friend." Sora's hand instinctively squeezed Riku's hand. "But I manage to regain some of my light. I met a king and a girl who steered me back on the right path. I've been walking the path of Twilight ever since."

Mrs. Jou looked somewhat shocked while Mr. Jou had a stern expression caught between disbelief and confusion. Mrs. Jou cleared her throat awkwardly and pursed her lips. "So… Just _where_ were you all last week? Why did Sora think you were dead?"

Sora and Riku exchanged glances before Riku began answering. "I was kidnapped during an avalanche by the same witch I used to worked for and put under a mind-control spell. I did… horrible things…" Sora quickly wrapped his arm around Riku's shoulder before he could start brooding with self-hatred. Mrs. Jou watched the gesture with a hint of surprise but said nothing. "Sora broke the spell but I had memory loss. When he brought me to the Memory Cave, I hit my head and awakened the sleeping memories."

"I see…" Mrs. Jou looked to her husband. Mr. Jou was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. His expression was unreadable. Riku feared the worst. His parents must've thought he was a monster. Before he could say anything further, his father pushed off from the wall and kneeled before his son.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered quietly, taking Riku's hand into his own. "I'm proud of all the good things you've accomplished and how far you've come in such a short time. You may have been tainted, but you found your way back to the light. I don't know how many other people could have done that." Mr. Jou paused, allowing his words to sink in. "I thought we lost you last week and we'd never get the chance to tell you just how we love you."

"We don't care about all those bad things you did," Mrs Jou added quietly. "You're still our baby boy and we'll always love you!" She smiled brightly. "You're here now and that's all that matters." Riku smiled faintly, feeling the corners of his eyes prickle with tears.

"I love you too," he said, leaning forward to embrace his parents. Both parents hugged their son fiercely, as if they were afraid he might vanish if they didn't hold on tightly enough. Sora and Kairi watched with joy in their hearts. Riku was the first to pull back. "And that's why this is going to be so hard." His parents regarded him with a perplexed look.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Jou asked.

"I have to leave again." Mrs. Jou closed her eyes, somehow knowing Riku would say that. She choked back a sob as her husband bowed his head in sadness and disappointment, both aware that it would come to this. "The war's not over yet. Sora told me we have to fight a big battle in three days. If we don't fight… the whole universe is in danger."

"We just got you back! You can't go now!" Mrs. Jou burst into tears.

"I'm sorry…" Riku kissed his mother's cheek and stood to leave. "No matter what happens, I'll always be in your hearts and you'll be in mine." He nodded at Kairi to create a Door to take them back to the castle. "I love you both!" He waved as he and his two companions walked through the light portal. His parents weakly returned the wave as Mrs. Jou wept against her husband's chest.

On the other side of the portal, Riku took a few steps and stopped, staring at the pure white space beneath his feet moodily. This was the first time his parents were fully aware of the danger he was putting himself in and he hated making them worry about him. He had a bad feeling he'd never see them again. He jumped a little when Sora wrapped an arm around his waist in comfort.

"You okay?" he asked Riku.

"Yeah, I just…" Riku looked over his shoulder into the blinding white abyss. "I can't help feeling like… we're never going back there." Sora followed his line of sight and then looked back at Riku.

"That's quitter's talk!" he laughed. "We'll go back after we beat Maleficent!" His never-ending optimism was contagious, despite the impossible odds. Riku laughed a little and messed with Sora's hair. He didn't want to remind Sora of Maleficent's near-immortality status. He just wanted to enjoy the brunet's enthusiasm and pretend for a moment that everything would be okay eventually.

"C'mon, you guys!" Kairi called, waving them towards the Door to the castle. "Sky and King Mickey will be so thrilled that you regained your memories, Riku!"

oOoOo

Sky was in the courtyard practising his hand-to-hand combat along with a hundred or so soldiers when a Light Door formed a few feet away from him. He was surprised to see Riku step out along with Sora and Kairi. The other soldiers stopped what they were doing as began whispering and murmuring.

"What's he doing back here?" Sky blurted out before thinking. Didn't Riku have amnesia still? Wouldn't the shock of magic and two Soras freak him out a little?

Riku looked downcast for a moment, misinterpreting Sky's accusatory manner. "Sorry…" he sighed sadly. Everyone was staring at him. "Maybe I shouldn't be here…" He figured there's no way everyone could possibly forgive him for the atrocities he committed in the last few days. He turned to leave through the open Door back to Destiny Island. They were better off without him, he thought.

"Riku!" Sora pleaded, holding onto Riku's arm possessively. "Just wait a second!"

"No, this was a bad idea. Everyone here must think I'm a weak-minded monster. I have no place here."

Upon hearing what Riku said and the dejected tone in his voice, Sky immediately realised that Riku had indeed recovered his memories and it must've included all the bad things he did, hence the attitude and the self-loathing aura Sky was picking up. He kicked himself for speaking without thinking. "Wait! Don't go! I… I didn't mean it like that! I just meant… I didn't know you got your memories back. Last I heard, those two were taking you back home where you'd be safe until after the battle." Riku turned slowly away from the door. "Don't run away, alright?" Riku looked between the Door, Sky, Sora, and all the soldiers staring at him for a few seconds. He stepped away from the Door and allowed it to close. Sora and Kairi breathed sighs of relief.

"I'm so sorry…" Riku whispered. He didn't know why he felt the need to ask Sky for forgiveness, but he knew he wouldn't be able to continue the fight for light with this heavy burden on his mind. "I'm sorry about all those lives I took and destroyed. I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I…" Sky closed the distance and embraced Riku.

"Stop. Just stop." Riku closed his mouth. Sky allowed a minute to pass so he could think of something to say to ease Riku's internal suffering. "A wise meercat once told me 'You gotta put your past behind you.' And a baboon once told me shortly after smacking me across the head with a stick 'The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it.' You get what I'm saying?"

Riku frowned. "Tell that to the families I broke apart and the parents who outlived their children."

Sky closed his eyes. "You weren't yourself. In my timeline, lots of people fell victim to that mind-controlling spell. If anyone's to blame, it's Maleficent." Sky pulled away from Riku and looked him in the eyes. "I'm gonna sound ridiculous saying this, but… This army only runs on happy smiles." There was a long pause as Sora and Kairi resisted the urge to start laughing while Riku made a funny face and Sky tried valiantly to keep a straight face.

"Isn't that something Donald or Goofy would say?" Riku asked slowly. Sky's face twitched.

"So?" he said defensively. "It's true! No frowns. Got it?"

"You know…" Riku managed a weak smile. "You're acting a lot more like our Sora now than ever before."

"Shut up! Take that back!" Sky grabbed Riku around the shoulders and gave him a noogie. Before long, all of them were laughing merrily and that was good enough for Sky. As long as Riku was happy, Sky was happy. The rest of the soldiers went back to their regular exercises and training.

Eventually Riku pushed Sky off and regained his composure. "Alright, alright! I'll stop frowning! So where's the King? We need to have an emergency meeting about the attack he's planning. I don't think it's going to work."

Sky cocked his head to the side. "Why not?"

"Because Maleficent is practically a god and we're likely going to lose."

"That's a fair reason. I'll just skip off and try to find him then." Sky quickly jogged off to the command centre.

Sora turned to Riku, nudging him slightly. "Here." He held his hand out, summoning Way To Dawn. "You said to give it back after. It's after, now." Riku cracked a slight smile, taking back his weapon of twilight. He could feel the transference of the Keyblade in his heart, banishing the fake one that Maleficent made for him.

"Thanks for keeping 'er safe for me," he said, hugging Sora close. "I knew you would."

oOoOo

In no time at all, all the world commanders, princesses, and ambassadors were assembled in the command centre for their emergency meeting. They had just sat through 45 minutes of Riku explaining everything he could remember about being in the dark mistress' council and anything he thought would be beneficial to know, including how she came to be so powerful and where all her Heartless soldiers were located, every base, every encampment, even tiny outposts where they were spying on the warriors of light.

"So basically, we're fucked," Sky grunted, leaning back in his chair. "We always were."

"What I don't understand is why she took so long to get her act together," Yuffie said loudly. "She's had nearly two years to hit us. Why wait?"

"When she revived herself, her new mortal body couldn't handle all information she had gained," Riku explained. "She needed time to adjust and learn how to control the new powers. The first step was regaining control over the Heartless. Once she did that, she started building her armies."

"I still can't believe it…" Aeris whispered. "How did she tie herself to the darkness?"

"Comes with the package," Riku sighed.

"So basically," King Mickey said, addressing Riku. "You're saying Maleficent is immortal and we shouldn't bother with our attack in three days?" Riku shrugged weakly.

"I'm saying it's a bad idea, yes," he answered. "But what other choice do we have? I was in her mind. I know her plans. She isn't just going to let us walk away from this. Either we obey her or we die fighting her."

Sky was quietly thinking things over and trying to put everything together like a badly-made puzzle where half the pieces were missing or didn't fit together right. And then, as if his brain had suddenly materialized the finished puzzle and filled in the gaps, he had a brainstorm.

"The key is the princesses," he said. All eyes turned towards him. "It makes sense now…"

"Care to enlighten the rest of us?" Leon asked, drumming his fingers impatiently against the table.

"We know now that Maleficent was responsible for the fire that claimed Princess Alice's family. In my timeline, when Alice's shattered heart spawned the Dark Wonderland, no one came to her rescue and she committed suicide. It was all part of Maleficent's plan! She wanted to take out one of the princesses quietly without drawing attention to herself."

"Then why didn't she kill off all the princesses?" Kairi asked. "Why just one?"

"There was no need to kill them all off at once. Kill one and the rest aren't as effective. They can't combine their power to open the Final Keyhole again." There were many murmurs as people thought about the implications of what Sky was saying.

"Why would we _want_ to open the Final Keyhole?" Aurora asked seriously. "We'd be unleashing the darkness of Kingdom Hearts upon the universe."

"Correction – you'd be unleashing the light and letting the darkness in." Sky's eyes roamed across the room excitedly. "Don't you guys remember? Kingdom Hearts is light! Pure light! The heart of the whole universe with the knowledge and power of eternity. It's only when the Heartless get to it that it becomes a Door of Darkness."

"I don't get it…" Sora mumbled. "How does that help us?"

"Maleficent gained the power and knowledge because her heart was unlocked when she was killed and her heart wandered to Kingdom Hearts, right? That's where every heart that fades into darkness goes. But because her heart was unlocked when it got there, it tied her existence to the darkness. You guys with me still?" The others nodded impatiently. Sky's eyes lit up with a crazed sort of glint coupled with barely-contained excitement. "But what would happen if a pure-hearted princess were to absorb the knowledge instead?" He grinned devilishly. "She wouldn't be driven to darkness because her heart is made of light. She could use the knowledge and power she gained to defeat Maleficent!"

There was a long pause of silence as everyone in the room let that last sentence settle into their brains. And then there were dozens of reactions ranging from terrified outbursts to excited agreements.

"We can't-" King Mickey cried.

"Gawrsh, I never thought-" said Goofy.

"That's an awesome idea!" Sora exclaimed.

"I don't think that's-" Kairi said uneasily.

"What are you, nuts?" Leon huffed.

"How would that work…?" Snow White murmured.

"Maybe we could-" Jasmine interrupted.

"Open the Final Keyhole?!" Donald squeaked.

"-be sure!" King Mickey said, standing up abruptly. The room went silent. "We can't be sure this will even work! How do we know for sure that the Princesses wouldn't be consumed by the darkness? I'm sorry, but that's too great a risk, fellas. It's out of the question!"

"Oh c'mon!" Sora protested.

"It has merit!" Cinderella agreed. "We could pull it off!"

"I fear for your wellbeing," Mickey reiterated. "I can't let you endanger your lives and your very souls for the small chance that you may come out of it with a solution to defeat Maleficent. I just can't!" The pure-hearted ladies exchanged looks and they could see it was unanimous among all of them. They were prepared to do anything to ensure the safety of their worlds and every world across the universe.

"We understand the risks," Alice said. "And we understand how our own light works better than anyone else. We can do it." The other Princesses nodded in agreement. "We can enter Kingdom Hearts and gain the power to eliminate Maleficent once and for all." King Mickey reluctantly took his seat.

"There's nothing I can say to change your minds?" The Princesses shook their heads. The King sighed. "Fine… You have my blessing. I wish you all the luck I can."

"When do we leave?" Kairi asked.

"Tomorrow," Sky interjected. "If that's okay with the King. That gives us enough time to make preparations and evacuate Radiant Garden."

"Wait, evacuate?" Leon asked. "Why do we need to evacuate?"

"Because that's where the Final Keyhole was created last time. If this plan fails, Radiant Garden will be in the direct line of fire. It's the first place the Heartless will hit to get to Kingdom Hearts."

"What about the armies?"

"I think only a few of us should go. We can handle it. The armies should launch their attack on Maleficent's main base camp in the meantime to distract her from what we're doing. If all goes according to plan, we'll rendezvous on the World That Never Was with seven super-charged princesses to save the day. If not, well… it won't matter anyway." Sky looked to the King for confirmation. Mickey mulled it over, tapping one finger on the table.

"Sounds like a plan," he finally said. "Who's going with the Princesses to Radiant Garden?"

"I'll go," Sky and Sora said at once.

"I'm in," Riku added.

"The rest of you will be needed on the battlefield," Sky said quickly before anyone else could volunteer. He saw several princesses take the hands of their husbands. They looked like they wanted to argue, but they said nothing and nodded sullenly.

"You have a 'go', people," King Mickey announced. "Leon, get your people out of Radiant Garden. Everyone else, inform your troops. We leave tomorrow. Good luck, fellas!"

oOoOo

Riku tossed and turned restlessly in his bed. He couldn't sleep at all. The anxiety of tomorrow's battle was simply too much and the memories of the carnage he caused were sure to give him nightmares, so he figured perhaps he was better off not sleeping. But he knew without a good night's sleep, he would be fighting sluggishly during the battle and it might cost him his life or the life of someone he loved.

Then there was a knock at his door. He wondered vaguely who would be calling on him at this late hour. He dragged his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp as he answered his door. (**music1**) Sora was standing on the other side. He looked shy and just a little lost. Riku broke into a wide smile, happy to see his boyfriend after such a long and trying day.

"Hey, what's up?" he said. Sora said nothing. He edged into the room without a word, slowly closing the door behind him. Riku grew concerned. "Everything okay?" Sora's eyes were scanning the floor. He started at Riku's feet, then slowly roamed upwards until he settled on the older's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused. Riku settled his hands on Sora's shoulder in a comforting manner, hoping to coerce him into speaking. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Sora started. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the door with a loud thud. "Never mind. It's stupid." He moved to leave.

"No, it's not." Riku halted Sora's movements. "Talk to me. What's wrong?" Sora hesitated and turned back to Riku. He put a hand on Riku's neck, drawing the other nearer until they were a breath away from each other.

"I…" he said again. "I'm… I'm kind of scared. About tomorrow." He laughed quietly. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Not at all." Riku smiled, bumping his forehead against Sora's. "It's understandable to be scared. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."

"Exactly…" The brunette huffed. "But I should be tougher, right? I shouldn't be afraid of anything. I'm the Keyblade Master! I'm supposed to be like a mountain, unshakable and ready for anything. A battle like tomorrow's should incite bravery and excitement, not fear and anxiety!"

"Everyone's allowed their weak moments. I'm a little scared too. But you'll be fine."

"No, I won't! I'm not supposed to be weak!" Sora quickly realised his voice was getting too loud and quieted down again. "What if something happens? Something bad?" His hand trailed up until it rested against Riku's cheek, brushing a few locks of silver hair out of the way. "I don't want to lose you again. I nearly died the first time…" He shivered.

"You're not going to lose me."

"You can't promise me that."

"I don't need to. It's not going to happen. Period." Sora was having a hard time believing that. He was just so tired of being Mr. Positive. Tomorrow's battle was serious, a matter of life and death not just for himself, but for every living creature in the whole of creation. It required a certain level of optimism that he simply didn't have.

"How do you know for sure?"

"I just do. I love you too much to leave you again." Riku brushed his lips against Sora's tenderly. It was light and feathery, just a tickle. Sora leaned into the touch, closing the gap. He could feel it throughout his entire soul, straight to the very fibre of his existence. It was comforting, like an affirmation of the power of their love and their ability to overcome those impossible odds he was so worried about. Their kiss was like lightning coursing through his veins. He didn't want the feeling to end. As soon as the first kiss ended, another began. The feelings intensified with each kiss. Passion took control. Both of Sora's hands reached for Riku's face, pulling him impossibly close. He didn't want the comfort to end. It was evolving, becoming stronger.

The kisses became hot and frenzied, mouths open and tongues colliding. It was a very human taste, soft and wet. Riku's hands left Sora's shoulders and found a spot on his waist, pulling the brunette even closer. His roughened hands skimmed over tan skin, feeling goose bumps emerge on the surface. As soon as their torsos connected, a sort of fire erupted in their bodies. Sora gasped when the older teen's lips left the sanctuary of his own and landed on his neck. Riku's tongue grazed over his Adam's apple, lowering to his collar bone and delicately planting kisses all along the area. Sora's legs felt like jelly and somewhere in the back of his head, he thought it might be nice to be sitting right about now. He tugged at Riku's arm, pulling him subtly towards the bed.

Sora collapsed in a heap on the bed back first with Riku hovering over him. Their lips crushed against each other's once more. Sora snaked his arms around Riku's broad shoulders, savouring the pleasant sensations assaulting his five senses. Riku broke away to kiss along Sora's jaw line, meeting up with an earlobe which he flicked gently with his tongue. Sora giggled at the feeling, cringing at the tickles it invoked. He unconsciously pulled Riku's face away from his sensitive ears and tossed him down, straddling him with ease. Riku was rather surprised by the seamless manoeuvre but not necessarily annoyed. It was exciting to have Sora in a dominating position.

Sora leaned in and began a new kissing session. His whole body felt relaxed, all anxieties about the following day's battle forgotten. All that mattered was the person beneath him. Riku shifted and sat up straight. His wandering hands disappeared underneath Sora's shirt, taking time to explore all the different muscles. He paused when he felt a long patch of rough skin amidst a sea of smoothness. Carefully, he stripped Sora's shirt off, discarding it on the floor, and inhaled sharply at the sight on Sora's abdomen. There was a long scar there clearly caused by a sword injury. Or more specifically, a Soul Eater Keyblade.

As soon as Riku's eyes landed on the spot, Sora knew what he would be thinking and said, "Before you say anything, it wasn't your fault."

"I did this…" Riku whispered, running his fingers gingerly across the scar, as if he were afraid that it would hurt Sora. Guilt was already infiltrating his mind. Sora sighed.

"I don't know how many times I gotta tell you before it sinks in that thick-" He tapped Riku's forehead dramatically. "-skull of yours." He grinned, giving Riku one final knock on the noggin. "I forgive you. I was willing to take far worse injuries to save you." He pecked Riku on the nose. "So shut up and kiss me." Riku looked down, thinking, then glanced back up and smirked slightly.

"Yes, sir." And just like that, the guilt was gone and Riku was moving on. He stopped worrying about the things in the past that he couldn't change and started focusing on the here, the now, and the future. And more importantly, pleasing the brunette in front of him right now.

Sora wasted no more time, getting Riku's shirt off in one fluid motion. He ran his hands along the perfectly chiselled chest, sculpted like a statue of a Greek god like the ones in the Coliseum. All the training they had gone through during the last six months had really paid off, Sora noted happily. He claimed Riku's lips once more, their kisses growing more feverish with each one. There was something so wicked and taboo about this whole thing, but he couldn't contain himself. He had waited so long, ever since he realised he was in love with his best friend, even before that, craving something of his friend but not understanding it until now. He pushed the older teen down on the mattress and simply stared into the other's eyes. There was something new there, something that made Sora shiver in a good way. It was like a desire, a want, a _lusting_ perhaps. Sora's heart rate increased dramatically. This wasn't what he had come here to do, but now that they were doing it, he didn't want to stop.

The stirring in his lower region was not a new sensation exactly, but it was certainly the first time he had ever shared it with another person. He wondered vaguely through a lust-induced haze just what it would feel like to move his hips a certain way and _oh _press himself against Riku. They gasped simultaneously at the contact. The stirring evolved into a burning white flame, ripping across their bodies, feeling the friction and rolling of hips. Sora clenched his eyes shut and bit his lip. He had never felt anything more amazing in his life. When he did it again, moved his body and connected _right there_, Riku felt like he was going to die or suffocate, but it would be a pleasant death, he decided, and he'd be happy. Sora moaned and dropped a little bit closer to the older. He was about to initial another shift when Riku's hands shot out to still Sora's eager hips.

"We shouldn't do this," he whispered reluctantly. Sora gave him a long questioning look with his dilated eyes. The words 'why not' were on the tip of his tongue, but Riku interrupted before the question could be asked. "I just think… It's a bad idea." Sora looked heartbroken for a moment. "I mean! I mean, I don't mean us, this, what we're doing, right now." Riku flushed an embarrassing shade of red as he struggled to find words. He was very much aware at how angry his ego was right now at his lame attempt at chivalry, but his brain had a very good reason for stopping the show. "I think… it's almost like we'd be resigning ourselves to a bad fate if we… continue." Sora's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"How so?" he asked. Riku looked away, still blushing.

"Well, it just seems like you're only doing this because you're afraid of losing me. Right?" Sora gave a noncommittal shrug. "You think this is our last and only chance to do this - that something is going to happen to one or both of us. I don't believe that. I believe we're both going to make it out tomorrow alive. I think…" Riku trailed off, meeting Sora's eyes. "I think we should wait until after the battle. It'll be our guarantee that we'll survive and fight out hardest." He sat up, wrapping his arms around Sora. "I intend to live a very long and happy life after tomorrow. And I'd like to spend it with you, if that's okay with you."

Sora smiled against Riku's shoulder as he felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. "I'd like that a lot." He returned the hug. Although the temptation to continue worrying and asking 'what if" questions was great, he pushed it aside.

"Sorry to cockblock you like that." Both young men burst out laughing, simply enjoying the moment.

"Yeah, yeah, jerk. I look forward to my reward for kicking ass tomorrow." The merriment continued for a few minutes. They lay down on the bed together, facing each other, holding hands. Sora gently rubbed the back of Riku's hand with his thumb while humming pleasantly to himself. "So now what?"

"I don't know…" Sora suddenly found himself quite content to just lie there with Riku by his side. Yes, his pants still felt uncomfortably tight, and yes, his body still craved for some kind of release, but his mind and soul were contented by Riku's presence. Then he remembered something Sky told him a couple weeks ago, back when they thought Riku was dead.

"You like… cuddling?" he asked the older teen timidly. Riku gave it some serious thought because no one had ever asked him such a question before and he didn't actually have an answer ready.

"I don't know," he finally responded. "I guess so. I've never cuddled with anyone before." Sora grinned.

"Me neither." There was an unspoken agreement to try it out, just to take pleasure in being in the company of one another.

They arranged themselves so that Sora was lying on his side with his back to Riku while the older pressed his chest against Sora's back and his arm draped snugly over Sora's side, resting comfortably against his stomach. Riku wedged his head in the crook of Sora's neck and planted a sweet chaste kiss there, a promise for many more to come. They fit together like a jigsaw. Sora took Riku's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"This is really nice…" he murmured, suddenly quite tired.

"Yeah…" Riku closed his eyes as a drowsy spell overcame him as well. "I guess I like cuddling a lot." He chuckled lowly as he snuggled a little closer.

It wasn't quite how Sora thought he'd spend the night before the greatest battle of his life. At first, he thought he'd spend it alone, filled with apprehension and terror for his loved ones and friends. Then he thought he'd spend it making love for the first time to his best friend turned boyfriend. But neither scenario happened. Instead, he fell asleep wrapped in the arms of his lover, half clothed and above the bed covers. And it wasn't that bad at all. It was enough.

oOoOo

It was early morning on the world of Disney. The landscape just outside of Disney Castle was covered by thousands upon thousands of alert, attentive, and armoured soldiers with their weapons at the ready. They were arranged in perfect ranks with their commanding officers at the front. King Mickey and the other Keyblade Masters were walking up and down the ranks, observing each and every warrior. This was what they had trained for. This was what they had prepared for. The battle to determine the fate of the universe was about to begin. The King needed to be sure his people were ready.

They stopped in front of Leon and his people. "Are we all set?" the King asked calmly. Leon nodded.

"The other off-world armies will meet us at the rendezvous location," he replied.

"Good." Taking one final look around, the King raised his arm and created a Door to take them all to the World That Never Was. "Let's move out!" A hundred more light portals formed and the commanders led their armies through. Mickey turned back to Sky and the others. "Sky, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on everything. You've come from a harsher future which I hope that by the end of today won't happen."

"To be honest…" Sky responded, looking skyward. "It's mostly my fault things were kinda sour between us. The 'You' from my timeline and I never got along either. I blamed you for a while. For _my_ Riku's death, I mean. You were the one who gave him the Port Royal mission. But it's not exactly fair, now is it? You're not the same King." He hesitated before putting his hand out towards Mickey. "Perhaps we could just forget about it and start anew?" The small mouse King regarded him with a bemused smile and accepted his hand with a hearty shake.

"I'm willing to start over if you are. I really believe this plan of yours is going to work. I want you to take care of yourself and the others. Good luck."

"See you on the other side," Sky answered with a smirk. "Your Majesty." It was the first time he didn't say it with distain or annoyance. Mickey smiled warmly at the gesture. As the King and the rest of the armies made their exit, Sky, Sora, Riku, and the seven Princesses created their own portal to take them to the now abandoned Radiant Garden.

A portal flashed to life in the unused throne room of Castle Luminous. The seven women and three men strolled out confidently and took in their surroundings. The room was poorly lit with the occasional sunbeam from boarded-up windows and cracked roof tiles letting a bit of light in. There were plastic sheets covering the handrails of the two magnificent staircases and sheets on some of the walls. Scaffolding covered the rest of the walls. It looked as though someone were in the process of renovating or restoring the room but stopped halfway through.

"Huh…" Sora mused out loud. "It's been four years and they never finished redecorating? Wonder why…?"

"Leon said the workers wouldn't come in here," Riku explained. "He said they thought it was haunted or bad luck."

They ascended the stairs to get to the plateau where a half-covered Heartless symbol still remained. In the centre of the symbol was a keyhole. The seven Princesses stood at the ready, looking at the keyhole with determination. They bowed their heads and allowed their hearts to flourish until their bodies began to glow. Seven pillars of light emerged from them and struck the keyhole, causing it to come to life and flicker with energy. It stabilized a moment later and the entire Heartless emblem coursed with power. The Final Keyhole was complete.

"This is it…" Kairi whispered.

"Good luck!" Sora said to the ladies as they approached the Keyhole with just the tiniest bit of apprehension and caution. This was the moment of truth. If Sky's theory was correct, then the Princesses were about to receive an eternal amount of enlightenment. If he was wrong… they would be lost to the darkness forever and the side of light would have lost seven of their greatest and purest allies as well as their only means of safe transportation. Everyone off-world would be stranded.

They paused at the threshold, looking back at the three young men. With curt nods, they smiled at the men, accepting Sora's encouragement. One by one, each Princess disappeared inside the door-sized keyhole to begin their journey to the centre of the universe. Kairi, the last one through, waved as she walked in. Sora waved back and took a deep breath. Now began the waiting game. He silently prayed for their safety, even though he knew they were all capable warriors by now.

(**music2**)

Before he could even begin fretting, a dozen dark portals appeared all around them. Sky cursed under his breath. "They must've sensed the presence of the Final Keyhole." As the Heartless began pouring in from the dark doorways, Sky was already charging up a Firana spell and unleashing it upon the first fifty or so. Sora and Riku summoned their respective Keyblades and charged into battle.

The ground shook and the walls crumbled as a large dragon-like tail smashed the far ceiling in. The trio gasped as an enormous Heartless dragon's face peered inside from the hole it created. It proceeded to level half the room in an attempt to squash the three Keybladers. They jumped out of the way, running up the falling ceiling debris and across the dragon's reaching arms until they were in range of the creature's face. Sora and Riku proceeded to attack its metallic-scaled face with little damage actually being done. Sky drove his Keyblade into the monster's neck and fired a Thundana spell point blank. The monster roared and threw the trio off it with ease. Out of the corner of his eye, Sky spotted another brigade of Heartless crawling towards the open Keyhole.

"Riku, stay with the Keyhole!" he ordered. "Sora, you're with me!" Riku broke off from the group, hurling his Way To Dawn at the Heartless numbers surrounding the Final Keyhole. Sky and Sora charged up their Drives and changed into their Final Forms. They flanked the dragon and began laying a series of attacks on its arms. The dragon growled and whipped its tail around, smacking Sora into a wall and disorienting Sky for a moment.

Wave after wave of Heartless legions smashed against Riku's dark Protega in an attempt to get to the Keyhole. The ones that broke through were dealt with swiftly. Larger ranks tried their luck and were eliminated just as quickly. Riku paused only a moment when he spotted three oh-so-familiar Defenders lurching toward him with their shields at the ready. Riku smirked and engaged them at once, slicing their shields in half and putting a Dark Bullet spell between their eyes.

"That's for a week of torture, boys!" he shouted angrily at their dissolving bodies.

Sky gave his head a good shake before unleashing a powerful Firana attack on the dragon giant. It swatted the firebird aside effortlessly and countered by breathing fire down on the whole room. The trio brought up shields around themselves just in time.

"We're losing ground!" Sky warned his two companions. As soon as the fires died down, he and Sora jumped up in the air and performed their Limit attack together. Their bodies glowed brightly and their four Keyblades began spinning around them rapidly, moving so fast that they appeared like a glowing ring around the two young men. They waved their arms and the Keyblade ring shot out at the dragon, shredding the dragon's metallic scales to pieces. The dragon roared in pain, but only a minute later, it had already regenerated a new set of scales.

"Well that's not good…" Sora muttered seconds before being knocked out of the air by the dragon's tail.

"Little help, here?" Riku called from the Final Keyhole. A Heartless had sprayed the Protega protecting the Keyhole with some kind of acidic material that was eating away at the magic and Riku was having a hard time recharging it while fighting off the hundreds of dark creatures swarming him. Sky and Sora jumped down to his aid, creating a few Protega bubbles just outside of Riku's. "Thanks." They turned their attention to the snarling, heart-craving monsters around them. And that's when it struck Sora. They couldn't win.

"We can't handle them on our own…" Sora whispered. "There's too many of them." They were surrounded and more were coming every second. The trio wasn't losing the battle, per se, but they certainly couldn't keep up their stamina forever, and with Maleficent creating new Heartless indefinitely, the enemy would eventually tire them out and win. Sora looked over his shoulder at the Final Keyhole. "C'mon, Kairi! Hurry up!"

And then, as if the universe heard Sora's pleading voice, the Final Keyhole began flashing and flickering with light as a silhouetted figure appeared in the centre. A powerful wind exploded out of the Keyhole, causing the humans to shield their eyes. The Heartless howled and screeched in pain as the blinding light burned away at their bodies, eliminating the very darkness that formed their existence. Every last Heartless vanished in the presence of the figure in the Keyhole doorway. The black dragon gave one last pity cry before slumping against the ground in a heap of dark mist and smoke.

Sora, Sky, and Riku smiled gratefully at their saviours, waiting for the lightshow to fade and for all seven princesses to file back into the throne room. But the glow around the figure did not fade and no one else emerged from the Keyhole. Sora's relieved smile soon became a troubled one. Where were the rest of the ladies? This figure… was not someone he knew. He wasn't even sure if it was human.

"Who… who are you?" he asked shakily. "_What_ are you?" The light died down just enough so he could see a face, distinctly human and female, but there was something about her that seemed unnatural, yet heavenly, indistinguishable, impossible to describe because it kept changing if he blinked. The woman regarded Sora impassively.

"_**We are Salvation**_," she replied in a terrifying voice.

oOoOo

A/N: Not who you were expecting? :D One more chapter left!


	20. Chapter 20: The Final Stand

**A/N: **I hope the newcomer in this final chapter doesn't come across as a Mary-Sue. Totally not my intention. Now here's the final two songs in this tale. **Music1** is "Los Jigos Medley" by the London Symphony Orchestra, which can be found on my YouTube account (search username kukochan). **Music2** is Horizons by Genesis (performed by the London Symphony Orchestra), which can also be found on my YouTube account. Happy reading!

**Hourglass**

Chapter 20: Final Stand

The young men could only stare in utter shock at the goddess-like being before them, descending the stairs slowly. She seemed to be showered in a permanent halo of sunshine.

"What…" Sora stuttered. "What are you? Where's Kairi? Where are the other Princesses?"

"_**We are Kairi,**_" the woman's voice boomed. Her voice echoed across the halls and walls, reverberating straight into Sora's very soul. It was as if her voice were made up of many voices, different pitches, intonations, and even slightly different accents all rolled into one. "_**And We are Jasmine. We are Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Alice and Belle.**_" She paused, her eyes sweeping across the three young men. "_**We are Light in its purest form, the avatar of the Light Realm. We bring order to chaos. We revive hope in the face of desolation. We illuminate the darkness.**_" She was a stunning sight, shimmering and glowing. Depending on the angle and the lighting, she possessed a quality from each girl she claimed to be, such as Cinderella's dazzling blue eyes and Snow White's kind smile.

"How is this possible?" Riku murmured to his companions. "They've… fused, somehow!"

"_**Once We entered Kingdom Hearts, Our hearts became one. The darkness could not touch Us. We absorbed the knowledge and power of Kingdom Hearts and We have every intention of using it for the side of good and light.**_"

"Can you bring her back?" Sora asked the woman. "Can you bring back Kairi? Is this permanent?" Despite their desperate need for a person who could actually defeat Maleficent, Sora's number one priority would always be his friends. He didn't want to go through with anything if it meant he couldn't have back his childhood friend and return the other women to their waiting husbands. He would never forgive himself. The woman's eyes fell upon Sora and they flickered to a lavender colour similar to Kairi's.

"_**She will return when Our task here is complete. All the Princesses will revert back to their own bodies.**_" The men exchanged glances, trying to decide if this was a good idea after all. The end result had been so unexpected.

"You got a name?" Sky asked, approaching the woman cautiously.

"_**A name with which to designate Us? No, We have no name. However, you may simply call Us Light, for that is what We are.**_"

"Uh… okay, Light. So what's the plan?"

"_**The plan is simple. We rid the universe of darkness. Give Maleficent nowhere to hide. Snuff her out of existence.**_"

"Wait, hold on," Riku interrupted, waving his hands around. "I thought the universe couldn't exist without a balance of light and dark. If you go wiping out every trace of darkness everywhere, won't that throw the universe out of whack?"

"_**We are the avatar of Light. We can reshape the universe as We see fit, make it possible for it to exist without the need for darkness.**_"

"You can't do that. You're talking about playing God here!"

"_**We can. It is within Our power to do so and We shall for the betterment of mankind.**_" Light had an air of arrogance around her, yet she looked detached, as if she felt she was above the others around her. Riku's posture was challenging and his eyes were flashing. Something about Light reminded him too much of Maleficent's attitude, only not as dark and sinister. She was the polar opposite.

"What about people like me? People who have dark-side issues?"

"_**We will reshape you as well, Riku, friend of Kairi. We will make you better.**_" Riku blinked as if someone had just punched him in the face.

"No." That was the last straw. How could this woman even suggest something like that? Where was Kairi's sense of right and wrong? Her beliefs in the freedom of choice and thought? Just what did Kingdom Hearts do to them? Riku leaned close to Sora, whispering in his ear, "This is a bad idea. No one should have this kind of power."

"I don't think we have a choice now," Sora whispered back. "She's here now and she won't leave until she completes her task."

"Are you even listening to the nonsense she's spewing?" Riku's volume increased. "She's talking about reshaping the universe! Reshaping _people_! Manipulating us into being perfect little light creatures against our will. I think I've had enough manipulation for one lifetime." He raised his arms as if he were washing his hands of this whole mess. "I can't do this. We have to find another way. I won't be part of any plan that involves turning the universe on its ear." Sora was inclined to agree, not only for Riku's sake, but because it was against his very nature to use and abuse a person's free will.

"Find another way, Light. We won't allow people to be altered like that and the universe to be reformed." Light's eyes flickered back and forth between Riku and Sora, trying to read them.

"_**As you wish.**_" She almost sounded disappointed, which really scared Sora. "_**We only obey because you are the Keyblade Master and We share a connection with your heart. But make no mistake, Keyblade Master, We are not your puppet.**_" Sora shivered slightly. He made a mental note to himself never to piss off this woman. "_**There is another way to stop Maleficent but it will be more difficult. For you, I mean. We can sever the connection between her heart and Kingdom Hearts. She will lose her immortality status but you must do the rest and eliminate her vast armies.**_"

"Without the connection, she's as good as dead, right?" Sky asked. Light nodded. "And she won't be able to hold on to the knowledge that Kingdom Hearts has provided her, am I right?" Another nod from Light. "Then she'll lose her control over the Heartless." He put a hand on his chin in deep thought. Light watched him curiously.

"_**You suspect that without the control, the Heartless will run rampant?**_"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. Let a rabid dog off the leash and someone's gonna get bit." He took a deep breath. "We're going to need to work fast once the connection is broken. We can't allow her armies to get loose."

"_**We can contain them. We can hold the darkness in one place and protect the rest of the worlds.**_"

"It'll be dangerous," Sky warned. "Holding that much darkness in one place. You could get hurt."

"_**Who do you think you're talking to? A mere mortal girl?**_" The challenging tone in her voice was most definitely Kairi. Sky smirked slightly.

"Of course not." He turned to the others. "Let's get to work. The armies are waiting for us at the rendezvous point on the World That Never Was." Light waved her hand and a Door formed while the Final Keyhole faded back into its dormant state. They wasted no time running through and out the other side.

The battle of the World That Never Was had already begun. The moment the four stepped foot on the world, they were met with explosions, gunfire, and widespread magic-use. The armies of light were spread thin across the dark city, pushing through the ranks of Heartless swarming the skyscrapers and plazas. Light glided down the street and as she passed by the Heartless, they dissolved into darkness at the very sight of her radiance. Hope soared in the hearts of the fighting soldiers.

"We could actually win this war!" Sky said breathlessly as he walked beside Light. "I always thought my mission in this timeline would be to reduce the number of casualties. I never dreamed we'd actually have a chance at true peace."

"Don't jinx it!" Sora warned jokingly.

"Sora! Riku! Sky!" Sora turned to see Leon and Aeris running towards them. They stopped abruptly upon seeing Light. Their eyes were dazzled. "Who is this?" Leon asked.

"She's the seven Princesses!" Sora said happily. Leon stumbled backwards while Aeris choked a little on her own saliva in shock.

"The Princesses?" Aeris asked. "All of them?"

"They became this super being after they entered Kingdom Hearts," Riku explained. It was a vague explanation, but considering everything that Leon and Aeris had bore witness to over the years, this hardly phased them once they adjusted to this new turn of events.

"The armies have pressed in against the borders of the Castle," Leon explained . "Our numbers are holding steady. We were just about to storm the walls."

"_**Allow Us,**_" Light interrupted, sweeping away down the street. The others were stunned into silence, yet obediently followed after Light.

They arrived at the foot of the crystal ramp leading up to the Castle That Never Was. The castle floated suspended above the rest of the city, held up by some magical force, as it has always been since its creation. A dozen wyverns and behemoths were standing guard, snarling at the approaching humans. The armies of light gathered behind Light, waiting to see what would happen. Light took a deep breath, breathing a golden dust towards the monstrous Heartless. The dust swirled around the beasts, ripping away the darkness and leaving only their crystallized hearts behind, which disappeared moments later. The sight of such a divine act left many people breathless.

Without a word, Light ascended the ramp at a leisurely pace. It took a few moments for the rest to snap out of their reverie and follow her. Several commanders stayed behind with a third of the armies to keep the rest of the Heartless at bay. Inside the castle walls, they were confronted by thousands of legions of Heartless, but their enemies were defeated almost too easily by Light in a show of magic and luminosity.

They navigated the hallways easily, remembering their way around from last time they had step foot in these halls. And finally they reached the top of the grand staircase, a long cold hallways leading to the throne room where the mistress of all things evil waited. As they approached the doors, Riku was filled with a great sense of apprehension. They were really about to eliminate Maleficent once and for all. He could finally get retribution for months of manipulation and years of nightmares.

"Ready?" Sora asked at his side. Riku nodded. They both grabbed a door handle each and pulled open with all their might.

But inside, the room was empty. Not a trace of darkness could be found, not even a lingering scent of evil. The first thought that popped into Riku and Sora's heads was "_Trap!_"

The ground began shaking violently, throwing everyone but Light off their feet. A split second later, Leon received an urgent message through his walkie-talkie. "It's the base of the castle!" the voice shouted hysterically. "There were explosions! It's coming down! The castle's coming down on the city!"

"What?!" several people shouted. They got to their feet and began running for the stairs.

"_**There's no time!**_" Light boomed. "_**Into the throne room! Now!**_" The armies charged into the throne room and surrounded Light. The walls and ceilings crumbled all around them. Sora held on tightly to Riku. This couldn't possibly be the end, could it?

And it wasn't. A dome of light appeared around the huddled soldiers, protecting them from the raining debris and destruction around them. Light looked calm and peaceful, like a mother bird protecting her children from the rain. The city below had a similar golden bubble covering wherever there were Disney soldiers. Sora could feel the castle ground beneath his feet descending rapidly. Very quickly, it was all over in one final quake. The castle had crashed to the ground, but no one was harmed.

The throne room was a complete disaster, what was left of it anyway. The only part that remained intact was the ground the soldiers were standing on. The walls had come down completely, the floors below had been flattened into nothing but rubble, and the ceilings had crumbled away. Debris littered the streets of the city for miles, large chunks of the castle strewn across the cityscape. Many of the nearby skyscrapers had been crushed beneath the weight of the fallen castle.

"Everyone okay?" Aeris called. There were murmurs as people checked themselves and their fellow warriors for injuries.

"Thank you, Light," Sky said, straightening up. "We owe you our lives." Light closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly. "But now comes the important question. Just where the _fuck_ is Maleficent?"

"She should have been here," Riku agreed. "She never knew we were coming. There's no way she could have set up this trap in time."

"_**She is close,**_" Light murmured. "_**Very close.**_" She turned on the spot, searching out for the missing dark fairy. Light's eyes settled on the tallest skyscraper left standing, the Memory Skyscraper. "_**She is there.**_" All eyes settled on the dark building. Sora, Riku, and Sky regarded it with contempt.

"Sora, Riku, Light, with me," Sky ordered. "The rest of you set up a perimeter around the building. I don't want anyone thing leaving that building before we do!"

"We could help inside," Leon offered.

"If she's got more traps set up, I don't want you guys risking your necks. Perimeter formation, got it? I want this city cleaned of Heartless by the end of the day." Leon nodded in acknowledgement. "Let's go fuck up Maleficent's shit." Sora wanted to laugh and cringe at the same time. He still wasn't used to hearing such vulgar language coming from his mouth, but he was too excited by the prospect of victory to care. The fact that Maleficent used such a low tactic in an attempt to kill them meant she was too scared to face them herself. It had to be a good sign.

The group marched across the rubble, climbing over the wreckage until they reached the skyscraper's base. Leon proceeded to bark orders at the other commanders and soldiers while Light, Sky, Sora, and Riku entered through the main doors. It was less dramatic than their entrance into the castle, but they just wanted it to be over finally. The elevator in the main lobby, naturally, wasn't in working order, which left them to climb something like 40 or 50 storeys, which Sora wasn't entirely thrilled about.

Around the 25th storey, they paused when they heard a slight rumbling accompanied by a drastic increase of the air's temperature. Sky held his hand up to indicate the others to stop and peered around the corner of the staircase. A flaming red Heartless was barrelling down the stairs at frightening speeds. Sky jumped backwards and instinctively cast a blend of Protega and Blizzana to keep the Heartless at bay. It crashed into the wall, followed by a dozen more. Sky puffed out a half sigh of relief, covering up his brief jumpiness.

"That was close…" Riku whispered. He grinned at Sky. "Scared?"

"Fuck you," Sky snapped.

They trudged on, taking a quick minute break every ten floors until they finally reached the top floor. The door was locked. Sora moved to unlock it with his Keyblade, but Light beat him to it. She pressed her palm to the centre of the door and blew it off its hinges. Sky nodded approvingly at her show of power. They stepped into the darkened room, lit dimly now only by Light's radiance, and they were hit with a wave of nausea from the stench of evil. The room was just dripping with darkness.

"Found me, finally?" asked a voice in the shadows. Maleficent stepped forward, her golden yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Took you long enough. Riku, you surprise me. I figured you of all people would know my true location." Keyblades appeared in a flash of light. Maleficent laughed hollowly at their attempt at bravado. "Is this the part where you tell me I'll pay for my crimes against humanity? Or toss off a one-liner about the power of light prevailing?"

"_**We have no use for such frivolities,**_" Light said passively. "_**We have one task and that is to remove you from a state of power.**_" Maleficent seemed to notice Light for the first time. She narrowed her eyes.

"I see…" she whispered. "It is as I feared. I failed to dispose of Princess Alice…" She sneered. "No matter. I'll do that now." She quickly raised her hand and fired a powerful blast of dark energy at Light. It impacted harmless against Light's natural light barrier. Sora, Sky, and Riku prepared to strike, but Light held them back with one arm.

"_**Not yet,**_" she said simply. "_**We have not released her yet.**_" She stepped forward, pointing both arms at Maleficent. A great wind swept through the room like a cyclone around Light. Her hair splayed behind her as seven balls of light appeared, taking key-shaped forms, revolving slowly around her. Sora gaped in surprise.

"Keyblades?" he gasped. "But how?"

"She's partly Kairi, remember?" Sky reminded. "And Kairi is connected to your heart, so it makes sense that all the Princesses have Keyblades now." Sure, it made perfect sense, but it was still a deep shock to Sora. This goddess before them was so powerful! He shuddered to think what would happen if she weren't on their side.

The Keyblades floating around Light, one to represent each Princess, glided into a formation, all pointing at Maleficent. The dark fairy backed away slightly before scowling and summoning a few hundred Heartless from the darkness and producing her own fake dark Keyblade formed from her green staff to combat the pure princess. The Heartless leapt forward, claws and weapons drawn, but were struck down by the other men. Sora spun around, slicing a Heartless in half while Riku slashed a few others with a Whirlwind attack. Sky fired off rapid shots of blue-ish magic at the remaining left standing.

By the time they finished of the last, Light had finished preparing her magic. "_**Sky, tell the others to expect Heartless reinforcements,**_" she stated, and then fired seven blasts of pure light at Maleficent from her Keyblades. The dark mistress attempt to block it, but the magic slipped right passed her Keyblade and straight to her heart. She cried out in alarm, gripping her chest where her heart would be, and fell to her knees. Meanwhile, Sky fumbled for his hand radio to tell the others to prepare themselves for rampant Heartless about to converge on their position. Without their mistress giving out the orders, the Heartless would be wild and unpredictable. The others waited with bated breaths.

And then… nothing.

Maleficent stood up, unharmed and very much alive, her cold eyes glaring at Light. "What have you done?" she growled, her hands twitching in rage. Light gazed back emotionlessly.

"_**We broke the connection between your heart and Kingdom Hearts. You are no longer immortal.**_"

Maleficent let out a terrifying roar of anger, charging at Light with her dark Keyblade drawn and shadowy energy spheres in the other hand. Light side-stepped but made no attempt to fight back.

"What are you waiting for?" Sora called. "Finish her off!"

"_**That would be violating our agreement.**_" Light deflected another of Maleficent's attacks. "_**She is a mortal creature now. If We were to erase her from existence, We'd be reshaping the universe to compensate for her lack of existence. You asked Us not to do that.**_"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Sora sighed exasperatedly. "Fine, we'll do it! Go help the others outside!" The streets outside were filling up rapidly with feral Heartless drawn to the abundance of fresh hearts and the divine light of the Princesses' combined heart. Light concentrated a moment, creating a barrier around the whole world to keep the Heartless trapped and contained. They could get in, but they couldn't get out. She dove out of the way of another of Maleficent's attacks before smashing open a window and diving out, gliding to the ground safely. "She can _fly_? Why didn't we just fly up the building instead of walking all those steps?!"

With Light out of the picture, Maleficent turned her sights on the remaining men. "You fools!" she hissed. "You have no idea the horrors you've unleashed on your people! Without me, no one commands those mindless beasts out there!"

"I somehow doubt they'll be a problem with Light on our side," Sky said with a smirk. He lunged forward, striking forward with his Keyblade Way To Dawn, but was blocked by Maleficent's weapon. She gripped the dragon-wing blade and banished it. Sky stumbled backwards in shock.

"I may be mortal now," Maleficent drawled, straightening up to her full height and stature. "And I may have lost control over the Heartless, but I still retain all the power I received from Kingdom Hearts! I'm still more than a worthy opponent for the likes of you!" (**music1**) She raised her arms and the room illuminated with a deep purple glow. The men instantly felt drained, like the purple glow was sapping their light. They didn't have long before their light would be tapped and then they'd be defenceless.

Maleficent transformed herself into a glowing green ball, zipping around the room faster than they could follow. She impacted against them repeatedly from different angles, leaving burns on their skin. Sky regained possession over his Keyblade and used it to block incoming strikes. The young men summoned Protega barriers around themselves to defend against her attacks and tried swatting her out of the air, but she was simply moving too fast and she was too small to hit.

She reappeared on the other side of the room in a flash of green flames. She waved her Keyblade staff at them and the room lit up in an angry emerald inferno. Sora stabbed the ground with the tip of his Keyblade, releasing a burst of cold magic to put out the flames in the nearby vicinity. He jumped over the fires and landed just in front of Maleficent, thrusting his blade forward multiple times in rapid succession. She parried easily with one hand and returned with a series of slashes of her own.

Sky and Riku joined in a split second later, but Maleficent was holding her own against all three. She ducked beneath two blows meant to take her head, and she released an energy pulse, pushing all three men backwards. She spun around and the room's fire died out, replaced with ice. The young men found their legs frozen to the spot. Maleficent quickly fired off three large glowing-blue spheres at them, intending to smash their bodies across the room. Little did she know, they knew how to perform magic without needing to move or speak at all. The spheres impacted against Protega shields instead. The men wasted little time thawing themselves out and launching into the offence yet again.

Maleficent began hovering in the air, bringing a dozen large rocks floating around her. The rocks burst into flames and shot out at the young men. They dodged and smashed any rocks that got too close. Green flames danced around them once more. Maleficent sent a shockwave out, knocking Riku and Sora down. Sky roll-dodged and ran at the witch, performing a strike raid attack on her. She recovered quickly and laid a few of her own hits in. Sky cursed his sluggish movements, blaming it on his draining light.

Backing off, Sky regrouped with Sora and Riku, and all three transformed into their Final Forms. Their combined six Keyblades flew at Maleficent in lightening speeds. She defended herself with a dark shield and fired off small ice shards. The Keyblade Masters brushed them off easily and jumped up to where Maleficent was hovering. Riku got above her, knocking her downward where Sora was waiting to smack her towards Sky, who struck her to the ground.

"_Bind!_" they shouted simultaneously. The green magic enveloped Maleficent, causing her to stiffen up and collapse on the floor, rigid as a board of wood.

"Riku, would you like the honours?" Sky asked politely.

"Would I ever," Riku replied, levelling his Keyblade with Maleficent's neck. He prepared to deliver the final strike, but the room seemed to explode when the ceiling was ripped open. Angry wild Wyverns flew overhead, screeching and flying erratically into buildings. In the momentary distraction, Maleficent was able to overcome the effects of the Bind spell, sitting up quickly, plunging her blade into Riku's abdomen.

"_RIKU!_" Sora screamed. Riku grit his teeth coughing, and backed away, gripping his wound tightly. Sky punched the sorcerer, grabbing her sword and pressing it against her throat while Sora tried to heal Riku. Maleficent forced Sky off in a blast of magic.

"I'm disappointed in you, Riku!" she sneered, regaining her composure. "It's come down to this! You brought this upon yourself!" She fired a concentrated blast of dark aura at the trio. Sky quickly put up a Protega bubble around them, giving Sora enough time to finish with Riku.

"Just hang on," Sora whispered to his love, pressing his hand over the bleeding area. His hands glowed a calming green colour. "Almost patched you up." Riku groaned in pain. The wound sealed itself and the pain receded in wake of the advanced Curaga spell used. Sora smiled, satisfied with his work. "No more close calls. Got it?" Riku nodded, gaining his strength back. The both of them turned back to the battle at hand. Sky and Maleficent were exchanging clash after clash of magic and swords. Sora and Riku dove in to assist.

Maleficent was forced backwards, but threw a few fireballs in retaliation. Sora created a Door to Light direction behind himself, slipping through and appeared behind Maleficent a split second later, smashing his Keyblade against her back. Maleficent spun around with the intention of driving her dark sword into Sora's chest, but was met with thin air and a closing Door to Light. Sora was now in front of her, casting Thundana on her. Maleficent cried out in pain and angrily struck forward, but again, Sora was no longer there. He was above her, Keyblade coming straight down on her head. She narrowly escaped, grabbing the Oathkeeper on its way down and used it to toss Sora across the room. Riku caught Sora mid-air and righted him. Sora smiled his thanks and squinted at Maleficent, using his Scan technique to see Maleficent's life energy. He smiled. "We almost got her…"

"Then let's finish this," Riku replied. He took Sora's hand in his own and began charging up for their Limit attack. Sora and Riku rose off the ground and started to glow a vibrant golden colour, their Keyblades following suit. The glowing swords swirled around the pair, picking up speed until they were nothing more than a shining halo. Sky glanced over his shoulder at them, realising what they were doing and quickly rolled out of the way when their attack was ready.

The charged-Keyblades shot out at Maleficent, ripping through her very existence and filling her with immeasurable light. The room became saturated with a blinding white light, causing everyone to cover their eyes. When the light died down, the dark witch was left standing in the centre of the room wearing a deep look of shock. The last of her life essence ticked away, leaving her with nothing to cling to. She collapsed to her knees as her form began fading away in dark smoke and wispy shadows. The Keyblade trio observed from the side, a great sense of justice and relief overwhelming them. When there was nothing left of Maleficent, not a trace she ever existed except her ungodly creations still swarming the streets outside, only when every last dark dust particle was gone did any of the young men move, allowing the magic of their Drives fade.

It was Sora who moved first, throwing his arms around Riku and laughing out loud. "We did it!" he cried, squeezing the older boy so tightly that Riku thought he'd die of asphyxiation soon. "Oh my god, I can't believe we actually did it! We defeated her!" Riku smiled, returning the crushing hug by lifting Sora off his feet and spinning him around. So many emotions filled him at that moment – relief, happiness, a strong release of tension and anxiety. They could finally say it was done. No more loose ends. No more nightmares and guilt. It was time to let go of all the darkness in his past and finally learn to live again.

"Yeah…" Riku hummed, planting a kiss on Sora's lips. Sky pretended to find something fascinating about the windows nearby. He was happy for them, but he felt sad in a way. His Riku was still dead, after all. He had succeeded in saving this timeline, but the one he came from, the one that will never exist now, would always be with him in his memories and his heart. This whole time paradox thing had him confused. It was then that he remembered the others outside at street level still fighting off the hordes of aimless Heartless.

"Uh, guys?" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hate to interrupt this celebration, but we still have a shit-load of Heartless to deal with." Riku reluctantly pulled away from Sora and nodded. They all ran to the smashed window and jumped out, using Glide once they were close enough to the ground and dove into the fray of fighting.

oOoOo

It was a long and hard battle, but warriors of light were victorious. The streets of the Dark City had never been more devoid of darkness than now. All that remained were the soldiers from other worlds, catching their breaths and congratulating one another. They rallied together at the foot of Memory Skyscraper, sitting at its ruined steps, taking a minute to regroup and converse. Sora, Riku, and Sky approached Light and King Mickey at the main entrance.

"Can you believe it, fellas?" Mickey laughed, shaking their hands one at a time. "We won!" They returned the smiles with varying degrees of happiness.

"We did it, kid," Sky said to Sora, clapping the younger on the shoulder. "We turned back the hourglass and beat fate at its own game. The nightmare is over before it started." Sora nodded in agreement. Sky turned back to the mouse king. "I'm truly grateful for all the hard work you've all put into this war. Without all your determination, we would all be lost and you'd be living the terrible future I came from."

"So what happens now?" Sora asked. "What happens with the Princesses? And what about Sky?" Sky and Light exchanged looks.

"_**Our task is complete,**_" Light answered. "_**You have no further use for the avatar of Light. We will revert back to our separate forms.**_" She concentrated a moment and her body lit up brighter than it normally was, slowly dissolving in a sparkle of radiance and separating until there were seven balls of light. The area flashed so brightly that those closest had to turn their heads away. When they looked back, the seven pure-hearted princesses stood there, looking somewhat perplexed, and yet, content, as if they had just woken from a nice nap.

"What a rush…" Kairi giggled, still feeling a little light-headed. The husbands of the other women rushed forward to embrace their wives.

"I'm glad to see you're all okay," Mickey said. The ladies smiled back at the king. "So what about you, Sky? What are your plans now?"

"I guess… I'll keep living in this timeline," Sky said. "Since I don't seem to be fading away anytime soon, maybe I'll set myself up in Radiant Garden. Live the rest of my life in peace, hopefully." He chuckled slightly, looking at the ground. "I almost don't remember what it's like to live without a war hanging over my head."

"You're welcome to stay on Destiny Island!" Sora piped up. "Wouldn't you prefer to live with us?"

"That's kind of you to offer, Mini-Me, but you know how the locals there are. I somehow doubt they'd understand having two Soras living on their quiet little island, let alone one that's seven years older than the other. Besides…" He looked bashful for a moment, looking away. "I think it'd be awkward having me around. And I'd certainly feel awkward being around you two…" He subtly pointed at Riku and Sora. The two in question made quiet 'Ah' noises as all became clear. Sky didn't want to be around them because it'd remind him of what he lost already. The king and all the princesses except Kairi grew confused by that comment but said nothing.

"So, I think celebrations are in order!" the king announced. "We shall hold a grand banquet at Disney Castle. Everyone's invited!" Many people smiled and cheered at the prospect of a well-deserved celebration of peace and freedom.

oOoOo

The grand hall of Disney Castle was lavishly decorated for the banquet. King Mickey and his staff had pulled all the stops to make this the most memorable party of all time. There seemed to be a permanent cloud of jubilation hanging inside the great hall. Everyone was so bright and cheerful. This celebration marked the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity.

Throughout the evening prior to the feast, many guests approached the Keyblade-wielding group at a table close to the head table to offer their sincerest thanks and congratulations. Sora, for the most part, never could get used to being a true hero. To him, a hero was someone who went looking for trouble and insisted the world should know of his heroic deeds. But Sora didn't fight evil for the praise it would garner. He did it because it had to be done and the Keyblade chose him to do it. However, it was still nice when people thanked him.

Dinner was served later in the evening, a sumptuous feast full of delicacies from all the other worlds. Once dinner was eaten, it was time for dancing. While guests from across the universe mingled, King Mickey approached the Keyblade trio sitting at their table. "Hey fellas," he greeted warmly. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh everything is wonderful!" Kairi answered. "I've never been to such a beautiful party! It's just as magical as Cinderella's anniversary."

"I'm glad to hear it! Say, Sora, Kairi, why don't you share the first dance of the evening?"

"Oh, uh…" Kairi stuttered awkwardly.

"Gee, it's just that…" Sora mumbled, looking away.

"I'll dance with her," Sky interrupted, leading Kairi away by her hand. "Sora, Riku, make yourselves useful and get us some drinks." He winked mischievously at them as they walked away. Sora smirked gratefully, grabbing Riku by the arm and dragging him to the drinks table.

"Are we ever going to tell them about us?" Riku asked shyly. Sora blinked a few times as he filled up two cups with punch.

"Do _you_ want them to know?"

Riku shrugged. "They're our friends. They'd understand." He looked at Sora through his long silver bangs. "Do _you_?" Sora regarded him out of the corner of his eye, pretending to distract himself with the punch bowl. He had never given it much thought, but now that the war was over and they had a chance to live in peace together, yeah, he wanted the whole world to know he loved Riku. He smiled.

"Definitely." Riku returned his smile, letting him know he was okay with the idea. "But how do we break the news to them?" Riku's innocent smile turned wicked.

"I have an idea…"

Out on the dancing promenade, Sky and Kairi stumbled around in a poor excuse for a dance. Neither one had ever taken formal lessons, but it didn't stop them from trying and having fun doing so. So what if people thought they looked like a pair of drunken hooligans? The euphoria of a hard-earned battle win was too great to sedate their good mood. Eventually, in a fit of laughter, they ended up spinning in wild circles, hand in hand until their heads could take no more and they stumbled to the ground in giggles. It had been too long since Sky had had this much fun and he was thoroughly enjoying acting like his old self again, damn to hell whatever anyone else thought of him.

The giggling pair were drawn from their world when someone gently clinked a fork against a glass at the head table. Sora and Riku were standing at the front, holding their drinks high above in a show of a speech.

"We just wanted to take a moment thank everyone here!" Sora announced, beaming brightly. Everyone quieted down so they could hear him. Sky and Kairi exchanged glances. What was that spunky brunet planning? "It's been a phenomenal 6 months with all of you and we couldn't have won this war without everyone's co-operation! Let us not forget the lives that were lost in the pursuit of peace! We'll always keep them in our hearts! And let us reflect on the new friendships we made, the new love that blossomed, and a lifetime of memories that were created. So cheers!" He raised his glass a little high, tapped it gently with Riku's.

"Here, here!" King Mickey called. Anyone else holding a glass raised theirs and clinked them against whosever was closest, followed quickly by applause. And then Riku did something that no one was expecting, not even Sora himself. He wrapped one arm around Sora's neck and another arm around his waist, pulling the younger man into a passionate kiss, dipping him back ever so slightly. Kairi and Sky's jaws dropped open in surprise while many people gasped and made 'oooh' noises. The wine glass that Donald was holding promptly slipped through his feathered fingers, smashing on the ground.

Kairi immediately broke the silence by catcalling and whooping, followed by Sky bursting into laughter and clapping loudly. Cinderella joined in a moment later, suspecting for some time that something was going on between the two young men, and once she was cheering, the rest of the princesses followed suit. Before long, the entire grand hall was applauding their approvals and cheering for the couple. Sora flushed an embarrassing shade of red when Riku let him go finally.

"No warning?" he laughed. Riku shook his head, laughing as well.

"What, and miss the look on your face?" he sneered, poking Sora's cheek. "Never."

"Congratulations!" Yuffie squealed, appearing out of nowhere as her ninja skills had taught her and leaping on Riku's shoulders. "Why didn't you two say something sooner? Tell me all the details!"

"Well…" Sora stammered. A small crowd was forming around them and he felt shy about talking so openly about his somewhat new relationship. But it _did_ feel good to not hide it anymore. Being in love with Riku was nothing to be ashamed of and so long as Riku was happy, Sora was happy. And after that grand public display of affection, Riku looked way too happy for his own good.

"Oh, so _that_ was what the cure was!" Snow White exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "That day in my cottage when Riku was sick! It wasn't Kairi's kiss, it was yours, Sora! How sweet!" She cooed gently.

"So romantic!" Aurora agreed. "That's how I met my husband! Maleficent cursed me and the only way I could awaken was with true love's kiss." The other princesses sighed romantically. Riku and Sora gagged. The estrogens levels were getting way too high.

"So how come we're only hearing about this now?" Mickey laughed as he broke through the crowd, shaking Riku and Sora's hands. "You could have said something when I asked about the cure to that poison apple."

"We…" Sora looked to Riku for help, but the silver-head merely shrugged. "Well, I guess we weren't ready to tell anyone just yet."

"I knew," Kairi piped up.

"Me too," Sky added.

"Well that goes without saying!" Sora snapped jokingly. "But we didn't know how everyone would react. I mean, don't any of you think it's… weird?" He was met with blank stares.

"Why would true love be weird?" Snow White asked, tilting her head to the side with confusion. The others nodded in agreement. Sora couldn't stop the abrupt chuckle that left his lips.

"Really?" He had been expecting more of a backlash or disapproval from someone, anyone. He hadn't been expecting this at all. It was a pleasant surprise. "Well anyway, we were waiting for the right time, and we all know what happened in the week that followed our hook-up."

"Oh you poor thing!" Cinderella said, patting Sora's hand when she remembered what happened. "You went a whole miserable week thinking he was dead! That must've been awful!"

"You should have said something!" Jasmine agreed. "We would have been there for you!"

"Alright, I get it!" Sora called, unable to help the broad smile that wouldn't leave his face. Their supportiveness was overwhelming. "We should've come right out and told you guys. But… it was nice for a while, having a secret relationship." Riku wrapped his arm around Sora's waist, prompting more coos and sighs.

"You do realise now that the secret's out, they're never going to leave us alone, don't you?" Riku laughed quietly in Sora's ear.

"The thought crossed my mind…"

oOoOo

The day for final goodbyes arrived faster than many would have preferred. Sora wasn't thrilled with the idea of parting ways, especially with Sky, whom he had grown rather fond off, almost like an older brother in a strange way. But the prospect of still visiting and staying in contact was enough to satisfy him for now. So long as the Princesses were around, there would always be the Corridors of Light, and thus, a connection between all the worlds he knew and loved.

They gathered in the Disney courtyard, making their farewells to the King, Donald, Goofy, and all the other castle inhabitants. For the most part, Sora managed to keep it together and not start crying like a little child. He accompanied all the commanders back to their home worlds; Captain Jack Sparrow to Port Royal where his bounty had been reduced and his Black Pearl lay beached and waiting; Jack Skellington to Halloween Town where another Halloween festival was already in the works; Lewis Robinson to Tomorrowland where new inventions were waiting to be discovered by the boy genius; and so on and so forth. Even through all that, he refused to show weakness and break down. Enough tears had been shed this past month alone.

But it wasn't until it was time to stop by Radiant Garden, drop off Leon and the others, and say goodbye to Sky that Sora felt the corners of his eyes begin leaking with tears.

"Ah, c'mon, kid, don't do this," Sky murmured, wiping away Sora's tears. "You've been so strong up until now. If you start crying, I'll start crying too." A few more tears rolled unbidden down Sora's cheeks, causing Sky to choke up slightly. "It's not 'goodbye forever'. It just… 'see ya later…much, much later'. Okay?" Sora's bottom lip trembled as he managed a weak smile. "C'mon, don't make me give you the 'happy smiles' speech, 'cuz then I'll have to kick your ass." Sora began chuckling as he sniffed.

"I'll miss you," he whispered. Sky's face softened.

"I'll miss you too, brat. You really brought the 'old me' back to life, y'know? I'm grateful for that." He pulled Sora into a hug. "Take good care of Riku, okay? He's an idiot. He'll be lost without you." Sora laughed a little louder. Sky pulled away and embraced Riku next. "If I hear about you breaking Sora's heart, you're dead, got it? Sexy ass or no sexy ass, you're dead." Riku paled slightly as Sky moved on to hug Kairi. "You have made me more proud than you'll ever know. You kicked a phenomenal amount of ass these past few days. You're nobody's bitch but your own, alright?" Kairi saluted. Sky smirked and backed away, standing next to Leon and Aeris. "Don't worry about us. We'll have this city up and running in no time. This time next year, you won't even recognize the place! And we'll deal with those good-for-nothing Righteous Hearts. Don't you forget it!"

Sora, Riku, and Kairi smiled wide. "Goodbye!" they called as they moved slowly through the Door waiting to take them back to Destiny Island. The residents of Radiant Garden waved back, cheering and hollering happily.

Finally, the trio reach the last destination of their journey – home.

(**music2**)

Kairi opened the Door to Play Island first, just in time to witness one of Destiny Island's famous sunsets, topped only by Twilight Town's sunsets, or sunrises, one could never be sure in that town. She had thought about taking them straight home at first, but she knew what time it was and wanted to treat her friends, as if to say 'Look, we survived to see another sunset, so this is our reward.' Besides, their parents could wait another few hours. The teens weren't going anywhere any time soon. Not anymore.

"C'mon!" Sora exclaimed, grabbing Kairi and Riku by the hand and dragging them along. Bit by bit, they fell back into their routine. Kairi giggled melodically while Riku grinned contently, both allowing themselves to be dragged to the bent paopu tree. They assumed their regular positions – Kairi on the tree closest to the fruit, Sora sitting next to her, and Riku leaning against the base of the trunk. And one by one, they let out a collective sigh. This sunset marked the end of another chapter in their lives, but not the end of their stories.

The trio were in awe of the skies above, the delicate balance between the oranges, reds, purples, and pinks. The sunset was even more beautiful than the sunrise they saw six months ago just before they met Sky and their new adventures had begun. There were clouds along the horizon, large fluffy pink cotton balls hovering in the heavens, and the sun teetered on the edge of the horizon, just getting ready to roll off the edge and bid this world farewell for another day.

"Nothing's changed…" Sora whispered. "And yet… everything's changed." His companions nodded in agreement. They all fell into a lull of silence, peaceful and welcomed. After another adventure together, they were closer now than ever before. Words were not needed to describe the feelings they felt at that moment. They simply enjoyed the sunset, the sounds of the waves lapping against the coastline, the birds cawing overhead, and the crickets singing hopeful tunes from the high grass.

When the stars came out that night, they still didn't go home. They watched the stars come out one by one, pretending they could see their friends from here. Sora pointed out a particularly bright one, saying, "I bet that's Disney World right there!"

"Hmm, seems more like the Pride Lands to me," Riku argued gently.

"You're both wrong, it's Radiant Garden!" Kairi laughed. "I can see Sky giving us the finger from here!" They started laughing. Sora stopped when a yawn found its way into his throat and out his mouth.

"Sleepy?" Riku asked, wrapping a warm arm around Sora's side. Sora nodded, rubbing his eyes. "I think it's time I tucked you into bed."

"Hey, I'm not a little kid," Sora protested. "I can-" He stopped when he saw the naughty glint in Riku's eyes. "Oh… OH!" He broke into a wide grin. "Yes please!" Kairi rolled her eyes, laughing harder.

"Oh you two!" she said, shoving Sora closer to Riku. "Get a room!"

"We're about to," Riku answered promptly. Kairi's laughter turned girlish and excited. Riku grabbed Sora with both arms and slung the brunet over his shoulder, carrying him off to the tree house. "I owe him anyway."

"Have fun, boys!" Kairi called as she hopped off the tree and created a Door to take her back to her house.

"We will!" Sora shouted from wooden ladder.

Once Kairi was gone, the little island of the trio's childhood went silent. Peace reigned over the galaxy once more and life couldn't be sweeter for the Keyblade Master. The silence was only broken by the occasional sigh, moan, or giggle. I suppose things _could_ get sweeter after all.

- **The End** -

Final Author's Note: Wow, guys! It's been a long epic road, but it's over! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing! I just want to thank all of you for sticking with this till the end and leaving me those kind reviews to let me know you were enjoying it! I never imagined when I started this story in the late summer of 2008 that it would garner so much support (or that it would take so long to finish)! So thank you all so much! You've all been inspirational and you're the reason I kept writing!

I noticed that some of you were getting quite emotional in your reviews about reaching the end. Here, have a handkerchief! ^^ That line that Sky said to Sora just before they parted ways was not only directed at Sora, but to you, the readers, as well! This is not goodbye, it's just 'see ya later'! There have been ideas swimming in my head about doing a few post-Hourglass one-shots to tie up any loose ends I forgot about or to simply provide fan service (I know, you're wondering "Where's the Riku/Sora lemon scene?!" Maybe, just maybe, I'll write a one-shot about it later).

I'd like to direct your attention to my account page for a moment. I've added some art that I and a reader did for this story, as well as general fanart for other stories I've written. And just to let you know, I've started another story that's Sora-centric called Amiss. You can find it on my main account page. This new story is significantly shorter than Hourglass, but I think it's just as enjoyable. I was working on it while writing the last two chapters of this story to help me stay in a writing mood.

So there you have it! I hope you have time to write one final review before you move on to greener pastures! Just a line or two letting me know what you think, that's all I ask. Thanks again! See ya on the flip side!


	21. End note

Hourglass Sequels

Author's Note: Sorry to spam you guys with this end note. This isn't really a chapter or anything. It's just that I wanted to draw your attention to a series of sequels that I have in my profile. The latest one, Timeless, I feel like is getting a little neglected. :( So I figured it might help if I revived Hourglass to remind readers that these sequels do exist. I know it's been a long while since Hourglass ended, but hopefully there are still some readers out there who are interested in what happens to Sky after Hourglass finished.

Now that I have your attention, please have a look at Timeless and the other one-shot sequels to Hourglass! ^^ Thank you!


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